CVE-2023-53497
📋 TL;DR
A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's VSP1 video driver causes a NULL pointer dereference when streaming video. This allows local attackers to crash the kernel, causing denial of service. Systems using Renesas VSP1 hardware with affected kernel versions are vulnerable.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with VSP1 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 complete system crash and denial of service, requiring physical or remote reboot.
Likely Case
Application crash when attempting to stream video through VSP1 hardware, affecting media processing functionality.
If Mitigated
No impact if VSP1 hardware is not used or if proper access controls prevent local users from accessing video devices.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to access video devices. No known public exploits.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Fixed in stable kernel releases via commits: 52d8caca3d533cc499f1255be25576ffd936ec95, 960dc0aa4aa149f6f39125394f4feb51b7addc60, b54f74214adf4e77cba6badf488c564dd353b491
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/52d8caca3d533cc499f1255be25576ffd936ec95
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update to patched kernel version from your distribution. 2. Rebuild kernel if using custom build. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable VSP1 module
linuxPrevent loading of vulnerable VSP1 driver if hardware is not needed
echo 'blacklist vsp1' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod vsp1
Restrict video device access
linuxLimit access to video devices to prevent triggering the vulnerability
chmod 600 /dev/video*
setfacl -m u:root:rw /dev/video*
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to systems with VSP1 hardware
- Implement strict access controls on video device files (/dev/video*)
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if VSP1 module is loaded: lsmod | grep vsp1. Check kernel version against affected range.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits or is newer than affected versions. Test video streaming functionality.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages mentioning vsp1_dl_list_add_body
- NULL pointer dereference errors in dmesg
- Video application crashes with VSP1 errors
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
kernel: *vsp1* AND (panic OR "NULL pointer" OR "dereference")