CVE-2023-53460
📋 TL;DR
A memory leak vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's Realtek RTW88 WiFi driver when USB devices are probed. This allows attackers to cause denial of service by exhausting kernel memory resources. Systems using Realtek RTW88 WiFi USB adapters with vulnerable kernel versions are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with Realtek RTW88 WiFi 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel memory exhaustion leading to system instability, crashes, or denial of service requiring reboot.
Likely Case
Gradual performance degradation over time as memory leaks accumulate during USB device connection/disconnection cycles.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper monitoring and memory limits in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires ability to trigger USB device probing, typically through physical USB connection or USB device emulation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits 48181d285623198c33bb9698992502687b258efa or 6cc92379b80af005e1f49ef6ef790cddc58cf0da
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/48181d285623198c33bb9698992502687b258efa
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Rebuild kernel if compiling from source. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable RTW88 USB driver
linuxPrevent loading of vulnerable driver module
echo 'blacklist rtw88_usb' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-rtw88.conf
rmmod rtw88_usb
Use alternative WiFi adapter
allReplace Realtek RTW88 USB WiFi adapters with unaffected models
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor kernel memory usage and system logs for memory pressure warnings
- Restrict physical USB port access to prevent unauthorized device connections
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if rtw88_usb module is loaded: lsmod | grep rtw88_usbCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Check kernel version includes fix commits: uname -r and verify against patched versions📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oom-killer messages
- Memory allocation failures in dmesg
- System instability after USB device connections
Network Indicators:
- WiFi connectivity issues with RTW88 USB adapters
SIEM Query:
kernel: *oom-killer* OR kernel: *Out of memory* AND process:rtw88_usb