CVE-2023-53320
📋 TL;DR
A memory corruption vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mpi3mr SCSI driver allows attackers to trigger a kernel out-of-bounds write via specially crafted SCSI commands. This affects systems using the mpi3mr driver for Broadcom/LSI SAS controllers. Attackers with local access can exploit this to crash the system or potentially execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with mpi3mr driver
📦 What is this software?
Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local privilege escalation to kernel mode leading to full system compromise, data theft, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Kernel panic causing system crash and denial of service, requiring physical or remote console access to reboot.
If Mitigated
No impact if the mpi3mr driver is not loaded or if systems are patched with the kernel fix.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and ability to issue SCSI commands through the mpi3mr interface. No public exploit code is known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel commits: 2f3d3fa5b8ed7d3b147478f42b00b468eeb1ecd2, 8ba997b22f2cd5d29aad8c39f6201f7608ed0c04, fb428a2005fc1260d18b989cc5199f281617f44d
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2f3d3fa5b8ed7d3b147478f42b00b468eeb1ecd2
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update to a patched kernel version from your Linux distribution. 2. For custom kernels, apply the git commits listed above. 3. Reboot the system to load the patched kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Unload mpi3mr driver
linuxPrevent loading of the vulnerable driver module if not required
sudo modprobe -r mpi3mr
echo 'blacklist mpi3mr' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-mpi3mr.conf
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to systems using mpi3mr driver
- Implement strict SCSI command filtering if supported by hardware
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if mpi3mr driver is loaded: lsmod | grep mpi3mr. If loaded, check kernel version against patched versions.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes the fix commits and mpi3mr driver loads without errors in dmesg.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- KASAN slab-out-of-bounds warnings in dmesg
- SCSI command errors related to mpi3mr
Network Indicators:
- None - local exploitation only
SIEM Query:
Search for kernel panic events or mpi3mr driver errors in system logs