CVE-2023-53376
📋 TL;DR
A memory corruption vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mpi3mr SCSI driver allows out-of-bounds memory access when managing bitmaps. This affects systems using the mpi3mr driver with Broadcom eHBA-9600 hardware, potentially leading to kernel crashes or privilege escalation. The vulnerability is triggered during firmware download operations.
💻 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
Kernel panic leading to system crash, or potential privilege escalation allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
Likely Case
System instability or kernel panic during firmware download operations, causing service disruption.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if systems are not using affected hardware or have proper kernel hardening protections enabled.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger firmware download operations. The vulnerability was discovered through KASAN detection of out-of-bounds access.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 339e61565f81a6534afdc18fd854b2e2628bf5db, 6a675a6d57d31da43d8da576465c1cd5d5b0bd3d, 8ac713d2e9845e9234bb12ae5903040685d5aff9
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/339e61565f81a6534afdc18fd854b2e2628bf5db
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Check your distribution's security advisories for specific patched kernel versions. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable mpi3mr driver
linuxPrevent loading of the vulnerable driver module
echo 'blacklist mpi3mr' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-mpi3mr.conf
rmmod mpi3mr
Restrict firmware operations
linuxLimit access to firmware update capabilities
chmod 600 /sys/class/scsi_host/host*/fw_update
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to prevent unauthorized users from performing firmware operations
- Enable kernel hardening features like KASAN and SLUB_DEBUG to detect exploitation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if mpi3mr driver is loaded: lsmod | grep mpi3mr. Check kernel version against patched versions.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits. Check dmesg for absence of KASAN errors related to mpi3mr.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds errors in dmesg
- Kernel panic during firmware operations
- mpi3mr driver error messages
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
search 'KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds' OR 'mpi3mr' in kernel logs