net: caif: Fix use-after-free in cfusbl_device_notify()
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-416 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: caif: Fix use-after-free in cfusbl_device_notify() syzbot reported use-after-free in cfusbl_device_notify() [1]. This causes a stack trace like below: BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in cfusbl_device_notify+0x7c9/0x870 net/caif/caif_usb.c:138 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88807ac4e6f0 by task kworker/u4:6/1214 CPU: 0 PID: 1214 Comm: kworker/u4:6 Not tainted 5.19.0-rc3-syzkaller-00146-g92f20ff72066 #0 Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 01/01/2011 Workqueue: netns cleanup_net Call Trace: <TASK> __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:88 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0xcd/0x134 lib/dump_stack.c:106 print_address_description.constprop.0.cold+0xeb/0x467 mm/kasan/report.c:313 print_report mm/kasan/report.c:429 [inline] kasan_report.cold+0xf4/0x1c6 mm/kasan/report.c:491 cfusbl_device_notify+0x7c9/0x870 net/caif/caif_usb.c:138 notifier_call_chain+0xb5/0x200 kernel/notifier.c:87 call_netdevice_notifiers_info+0xb5/0x130 net/core/dev.c:1945 call_netdevice_notifiers_extack net/core/dev.c:1983 [inline] call_netdevice_notifiers net/core/dev.c:1997 [inline] netdev_wait_allrefs_any net/core/dev.c:10227 [inline] netdev_run_todo+0xbc0/0x10f0 net/core/dev.c:10341 default_device_exit_batch+0x44e/0x590 net/core/dev.c:11334 ops_exit_list+0x125/0x170 net/core/net_namespace.c:167 cleanup_net+0x4ea/0xb00 net/core/net_namespace.c:594 process_one_work+0x996/0x1610 kernel/workqueue.c:2289 worker_thread+0x665/0x1080 kernel/workqueue.c:2436 kthread+0x2e9/0x3a0 kernel/kthread.c:376 ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:302 </TASK> When unregistering a net device, unregister_netdevice_many_notify() sets the device's reg_state to NETREG_UNREGISTERING, calls notifiers with NETDEV_UNREGISTER, and adds the device to the todo list. Later on, devices in the todo list are processed by netdev_run_todo(). netdev_run_todo() waits devices' reference count become 1 while rebdoadcasting NETDEV_UNREGISTER notification. When cfusbl_device_notify() is called with NETDEV_UNREGISTER multiple times, the parent device might be freed. This could cause UAF. Processing NETDEV_UNREGISTER multiple times also causes inbalance of reference count for the module. This patch fixes the issue by accepting only first NETDEV_UNREGISTER notification.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 3.3 and later | 4.14.310, 4.19.278, 5.4.237, 5.10.175, 5.15.103, 6.1.20, 6.2.7, 6.3 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 3.3 and later Fixed in 4.14.310, 4.19.278, 5.4.237, 5.10.175, 5.15.103, 6.1.20, 6.2.7, 6.3 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 2
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.3 to before 4.14.310; 4.15 to before 4.19.278; 4.20 to before 5.4.237; 5.5 to before 5.10.175; 5.11 to before 5.15.103; 5.16 to before 6.1.20; 6.2 to before 6.2.7 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.3 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.3 to before 4.14.310; 4.15 to before 4.19.278; 4.20 to before 5.4.237; 5.5 to before 5.10.175; 5.11 to before 5.15.103; 5.16 to before 6.1.20; 6.2 to before 6.2.7 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.3 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.14.310, 4.19.278, 5.4.237, 5.10.175, 5.15.103, 6.1.20, 6.2.7, 6.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 5 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-53138
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-pgwx-747m-9mgh
- 2026-11-07 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/68a45c3cf0e2242a533657f4f535d9b6a7447a79
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1793da97a23e31c5bf06631f3f3e5a25f368fd64
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9dc16be373b382ddd4c274052a6e870a95e76c01
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c3aaec463a632cf4187dc017e421bfa69d7834a9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f14457e1584224f4296af613bbd99deb60b5d91
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/287027d8a567168a5d8ce5cb0cba16a34791a48c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d1a11bbdbb5ea9f172019c5a4a3e9d8eabd72179
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9781e98a97110f5e76999058368b4be76a788484
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Sources
- CVE-2023-53138 · CVE Program
- CVE-2023-53138 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-pgwx-747m-9mgh · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2023-53138 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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