CVE-2023-53596
📋 TL;DR
A double-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's device resource management system can cause memory corruption when unregistering bus-less or driver-less devices. This affects Linux systems using device-managed resources, particularly in frameworks like DRM (Direct Rendering Manager). Attackers could exploit this to crash the system or potentially execute arbitrary code.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
📦 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel memory corruption leading to system crash (DoS) or potential privilege escalation to kernel-level code execution.
Likely Case
System instability, kernel panics, or denial of service through targeted memory corruption.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if systems are patched or don't use affected device configurations.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires triggering specific device unregistration scenarios with managed resources holding references.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits: 297992e5c63528e603666e36081836204fc36ec9, 3bcc4c2a096e8342c8c719e595ce15de212694dd, 699fb50d99039a50e7494de644f96c889279aca3, c8c426fae26086a0ca8ab6cc6da2de79810ec038
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/297992e5c63528e603666e36081836204fc36ec9
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Check distribution-specific security advisories. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Avoid bus-less/driver-less device configurations
linuxPrevent use of device configurations that trigger the vulnerable code path.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to minimize attack surface
- Monitor system logs for kernel panics or memory corruption warnings
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and compare with patched commits: uname -r and examine kernel source for the fix commits.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes the fix commits or check with distribution security updates.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs
- Memory corruption warnings in dmesg
- System crashes during device operations
SIEM Query:
Search for kernel panic events or memory corruption alerts in system logs.