CVE-2023-53424
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the MediaTek clock driver of the Linux kernel, where a failure to release memory mapped via of_iomap() during error handling could lead to resource exhaustion. It affects systems using the MediaTek clk-mtk driver, primarily embedded devices and some consumer electronics. The vulnerability requires local access to exploit.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with MediaTek clk-mtk 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
An attacker with local access could repeatedly trigger the error condition to cause a kernel memory leak, potentially leading to system instability, denial of service (DoS), or kernel panic over time.
Likely Case
In most scenarios, exploitation is limited to local users or processes causing gradual memory depletion, resulting in performance degradation or system crashes, but not privilege escalation or remote compromise.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and monitoring, the impact is minimal as it requires local exploitation and may only affect specific hardware configurations; memory leaks can be detected and mitigated before causing significant harm.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation involves triggering an error during the probe function of the clk-mtk driver to cause the memory leak; no known public exploits exist as of the CVE disclosure.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patches are available in the Linux kernel stable tree; apply commits 2cae6a28d8c12c597e8656962271520434c61c48, 3db7285e044144fd88a356f5b641b9cd4b231a77, or 47234e19b00816a8a7b278c7173f6d4e928c43c7 depending on the kernel version.
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2cae6a28d8c12c597e8656962271520434c61c48
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Identify the Linux kernel version on the affected system. 2. Apply the relevant patch from the stable kernel tree by updating to a patched version or backporting the fix. 3. Recompile and install the kernel if using a custom build. 4. For distributions, update via package manager (e.g., 'apt update && apt upgrade' for Debian-based systems).
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable MediaTek clk-mtk driver if not needed
LinuxIf the system does not require the MediaTek clock driver, disable it to prevent exploitation.
echo 'blacklist clk-mtk' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
update-initramfs -u
reboot
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to minimize the attack surface by enforcing least privilege principles.
- Monitor system memory usage and kernel logs for signs of memory leaks or instability, and restart affected services if degradation occurs.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if the system uses the MediaTek clk-mtk driver by running 'lsmod | grep clk_mtk' and verify the kernel version against patched commits.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
After patching, ensure the kernel version includes the fix by checking 'uname -r' and confirming the driver loads without errors in dmesg.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Look for kernel log messages related to memory allocation failures or warnings from the clk-mtk driver in /var/log/kern.log or dmesg.
Network Indicators:
- No network indicators, as this is a local vulnerability.
SIEM Query:
Example query for Splunk: 'index=linux sourcetype=kern.log "clk-mtk" OR "memory leak"'