CVE-2023-53495 – This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Marvel... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-53495?

CVE-2023-53495 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Marvell PP2 Ethernet driver allows local attackers to trigger an out-of-bounds write or NULL pointer dereference via the ethtool interface. It affects systems using the mvpp2_main driver with unpatched kernels, potentially leading to kernel crashes or privilege escalation.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Marvell PP2 Ethernet driver allows local attackers to trigger an out-of-bounds write or NULL pointer dereference via the ethtool interface. It affects systems using the mvpp2_main driver with unpatched kernels, potentially leading to kernel crashes or privilege escalation.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with Marvell PP2 Ethernet driver (mvpp2_main)

Versions: Kernel versions before the fix commits (specific versions vary by distribution)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems with Marvell PP2 Ethernet hardware and the mvpp2_main driver loaded.

📦 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 →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Local privilege escalation to root via kernel memory corruption, leading to complete system compromise.

🟠

Likely Case

Kernel panic or system crash causing denial of service.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if proper access controls prevent local users from using ethtool.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to exploit.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or compromised accounts could exploit this vulnerability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access and ability to run ethtool commands. No public exploits known as of analysis.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 349638f7e5d3c7d328565587bb7b0454bbee02e2, 51fe0a470543f345e3c62b6798929de3ddcedc1d, 5bb09dddc724c5f7c4dc6dd3bfebd685eecd93e8, 61054a8ddb176b155a8f2bacdfefb3727187f5d9, 625b70d31dd4df4b96b3ddcbe251debb33bd67f5

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/349638f7e5d3c7d328565587bb7b0454bbee02e2

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Check distribution-specific security advisories. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Restrict ethtool access

linux

Limit access to ethtool command to prevent exploitation

chmod 750 /sbin/ethtool
setcap -r /sbin/ethtool

Unload vulnerable driver

linux

Remove the mvpp2_main kernel module if not needed

rmmod mvpp2_main

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict access controls to prevent local users from running ethtool
Monitor for kernel panic logs and investigate any suspicious ethtool usage

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if mvpp2_main driver is loaded: lsmod | grep mvpp2_main && check kernel version against patched versions

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes the fix commits or check with distribution's security update verification tools

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages
OOPs logs related to mvpp2_main or ethtool

Network Indicators:

Unusual ethtool command execution from non-privileged users

SIEM Query:

process.name="ethtool" AND user.id!=0

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-53495

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-787

EPSS Score: 0.02% exploit probability (5.6th percentile)

Published: October 1, 2025

Last Updated: January 16, 2026

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

If you're affected by CVE-2023-53495, you might also want to check these: