CVE-2023-53354
📋 TL;DR
A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's skbuff subsystem can cause kernel panics when processing network packets. This affects Linux systems using TCP segmentation offload (TSO) or generic segmentation offload (GSO) features. The vulnerability can lead to denial of service conditions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
📦 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 →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 →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 →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
Kernel panic leading to system crash and complete denial of service, requiring physical or remote console access to reboot.
Likely Case
System instability or crashes when processing specific network traffic patterns, particularly with virtualization or container networking.
If Mitigated
Minor performance impact from disabling affected features, with no security compromise if workarounds are applied.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires ability to send specific network traffic patterns. No public exploit code is known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits 04c3eee4e13f60bf6f9a366ad39f88a01a57166e or later
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04c3eee4e13f60bf6f9a366ad39f88a01a57166e
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution vendor. 2. For custom kernels, apply the fix from kernel.org stable tree. 3. Reboot is required to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable TSO/GSO features
allDisable TCP segmentation offload and generic segmentation offload to prevent triggering the vulnerability
ethtool -K eth0 tso off gso off
ethtool -K eth0 sg off
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Apply network segmentation to limit exposure to untrusted traffic
- Implement rate limiting on network interfaces to reduce likelihood of triggering the condition
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version: uname -r and compare with affected versions from kernel.orgCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes the fix commit: grep -q '04c3eee4e13f60bf6f9a366ad39f88a01a57166e' /proc/version📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages mentioning skb_segment, NULL pointer dereference at 00000000000000bc
- System crashes during network traffic processing
Network Indicators:
- Unusual packet patterns triggering segmentation offload
SIEM Query:
event_source="kernel" AND (message="NULL pointer dereference" OR message="skb_segment" OR message="kernel panic")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04c3eee4e13f60bf6f9a366ad39f88a01a57166e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2ea35288c83b3d501a88bc17f2df8f176b5cc96f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6c26ed3c6abe86ddab0510529000b970b05c9b40
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8836c266201c29a5acb4f582227686f47b65ad61
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d44403ec0676317b7f7edf2a035bb219fee3304e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d5790386595d06ea9decfd9ba5f1ea48cf09aa02
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f99006e840a4dbc8f5a34cecc6b5b26c73ef49bb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fcab3f661dbfd88e27ddbbe65368f3fa2d823175
