CVE-2023-53541
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's MTD subsystem allows potential out-of-bounds memory access when writing OOB (out-of-band) data to NAND flash memory. Attackers could exploit this to read sensitive data from kernel memory or potentially cause system crashes. Systems using Broadcom NAND controllers with affected kernel versions are vulnerable.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with Broadcom NAND controller support
📦 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 →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 disclosure leading to privilege escalation, sensitive data exposure, or denial of service through system crashes.
Likely Case
Information disclosure from kernel memory or system instability/crashes when writing to NAND flash.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if systems don't use Broadcom NAND controllers or have proper memory protection mechanisms.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and specific hardware conditions. No public exploits known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits: 14b1d00520b4d6a4818364334ce472b79cfc8976, 2353b7bb61e45e7cfd21505d0c6747ac8c9496a1, 2bc3d6ac704ea7263175ea3da663fdbbb7f3dd8b, 45fe4ad7f439799ee1b7b5f80bf82e8b34a98d25, 5d53244186c9ac58cb88d76a0958ca55b83a15cd
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/14b1d00520b4d6a4818364334ce472b79cfc8976
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution's repositories. 2. For custom kernels, apply the relevant commits from kernel.org. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Broadcom NAND support
linuxRemove brcmnand driver if not needed
modprobe -r brcmnand
echo 'blacklist brcmnand' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict access to systems using Broadcom NAND hardware to trusted users only
- Implement strict access controls and monitoring on affected systems
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if brcmnand module is loaded: 'lsmod | grep brcmnand' and 'uname -r'Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is after fix commits and brcmnand module loads without errors📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oops messages
- System crashes during NAND operations
- dmesg errors mentioning brcmnand
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
Search for: 'kernel: brcmnand' OR 'kernel: Oops' OR 'kernel: BUG' in system logs🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/14b1d00520b4d6a4818364334ce472b79cfc8976
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2353b7bb61e45e7cfd21505d0c6747ac8c9496a1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2bc3d6ac704ea7263175ea3da663fdbbb7f3dd8b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/45fe4ad7f439799ee1b7b5f80bf82e8b34a98d25
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5d53244186c9ac58cb88d76a0958ca55b83a15cd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/648d1150a688698e37f7aaf302860180901cb30e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aae45746f4aee9818296e0500e0703e9d8caa5b8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d00b031266514a9395124704630b056a5185ec17
