CVE-2023-53168
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-09-15
Last updated on: 2025-11-24
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.3 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.3 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.3 |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-476 | The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability involves the Linux kernel's usb: ucsi_acpi driver where the command completion timeout was incorrectly reduced to 1 second after switching to polled mode during alternate mode discovery. This too-short timeout causes errors when connecting certain devices, such as a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen7 to an LG 27UL850-W monitor over Type-C. Errors include "PPM init failed (-110)" at boot and "GET_CONNECTOR_STATUS failed (-110)" when connecting after boot, along with a NULL pointer dereference on unplugging. Increasing the timeout back to 5 seconds resolves these issues.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can cause connection failures and errors when using USB Type-C alternate mode devices, such as monitors connected to laptops. It may result in failure to detect or initialize the connected device properly, error messages logged in the system, and potential system instability due to NULL pointer dereferences on unplugging the device.
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by checking for specific error messages in the system logs related to USB Type-C connections. Look for the errors "PPM init failed (-110)" or "GET_CONNECTOR_STATUS failed (-110)" in the kernel logs. You can use the command `dmesg | grep -E 'PPM init failed|GET_CONNECTOR_STATUS failed'` to find these errors. Additionally, check if the directory `/sys/class/typec` is unexpectedly empty when a Type-C device is connected.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability, increase the command completion timeout value for the ucsi_acpi driver from 1 second back to 5 seconds as was done in the fix. This can be achieved by applying the kernel patch that includes commit 130a96d698d7 or updating the Linux kernel to a version that contains this fix. Until then, avoid connecting the affected Type-C devices at boot or monitor the system logs for the mentioned errors and reconnect devices after boot as a temporary workaround.