CVE-2023-53682
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's xgene hardware monitoring driver. When the driver fails to properly release memory mapped via ioremap and memremap functions during device probe failures, it can cause kernel memory exhaustion over time. This affects systems running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with xgene hardware monitoring enabled.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with xgene-hwmon 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 →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
Sustained exploitation could lead to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, denial of service, or potential kernel crashes requiring system reboot.
Likely Case
Memory leak accumulates over time during repeated device probe failures, gradually degrading system performance until memory exhaustion triggers system instability.
If Mitigated
With proper monitoring and memory limits, impact is limited to performance degradation rather than complete system failure.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires triggering device probe failures repeatedly to accumulate memory leaks. Requires local access or ability to interact with hardware monitoring subsystem.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits 1773185a0a87006c1be78a978d9dd61aa7a33db8, 813cc94c7847ae4a17e9f744fb4dbdf7df6bd732, or 9d482a09acd3d5f61a56aefc125d32c81994707b
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1773185a0a87006c1be78a978d9dd61aa7a33db8
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution vendor. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify xgene-hwmon driver is updated.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable xgene-hwmon module
LinuxPrevent loading of vulnerable driver if hardware monitoring not required
echo 'blacklist xgene-hwmon' > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-xgene-hwmon.conf
rmmod xgene-hwmon
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor kernel memory usage closely for unusual growth patterns
- Implement system monitoring to detect and alert on memory exhaustion conditions
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if xgene-hwmon module is loaded: lsmod | grep xgene_hwmon. If loaded, check kernel version against patched versions.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits or is newer than vulnerable versions. Check dmesg for xgene-hwmon driver loading without errors.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oom-killer messages
- Memory allocation failures in dmesg
- Repeated xgene-hwmon probe failures
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local kernel issue
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("out of memory" OR "oom-killer" OR "xgene-hwmon")