CVE-2023-53219
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-09-15
Last updated on: 2025-12-03
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 4.3 (inc) to 4.14.316 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 4.15 (inc) to 4.19.284 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 4.20 (inc) to 5.4.244 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.5 (inc) to 5.10.181 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.11 (inc) to 5.15.113 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.16 (inc) to 6.1.30 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.2 (inc) to 6.3.4 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.4 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.4 |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-416 | The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a use-after-free bug in the Linux kernel's netup_unidvb media driver. When a Universal DVB card is detaching, the function netup_unidvb_dma_fini() calls del_timer() to stop a timeout timer. However, if the timer handler netup_unidvb_dma_timeout() is currently running, del_timer() cannot stop it, leading to a use-after-free condition where the timer handler accesses memory that has already been freed. The fix involved replacing del_timer() with del_timer_sync() to ensure the timer handler has finished before freeing memory.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This use-after-free vulnerability can lead to undefined behavior such as system crashes, memory corruption, or potential privilege escalation if exploited. It may cause instability in systems using the affected Linux kernel media driver, potentially impacting system reliability and security.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability, update the Linux kernel to a version that includes the fix where del_timer() is replaced with del_timer_sync() in the netup_unidvb driver. This prevents the use-after-free bug during Universal DVB card detachment.