CVE-2023-53560
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-10-04
Last updated on: 2026-03-21
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 | 6.5 |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.11 (inc) to 5.15.121 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.5 (inc) to 5.10.188 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 4.20 (inc) to 5.4.251 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.16 (inc) to 6.1.40 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.2 (inc) to 6.4.5 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 4.17 (inc) to 4.19.291 (exc) |
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 Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.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 in the Linux kernel relates to the tracing subsystem's handling of histograms with referenced variables. Specifically, hist triggers can have referenced variables without direct variable fields, such as when referenced variables are added for trigger actions. The kernel did not properly consider these referenced variables, which could lead to a bug where removing a histogram trigger with referenced variables causes a use-after-free error. This bug can be reproduced by creating synthetic events and hist triggers that reference variables without direct variable fields, leading to a kernel slab-use-after-free error.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can cause a kernel use-after-free bug, which may lead to system instability, crashes, or potential denial of service. Since it involves kernel memory management errors triggered by specific tracing commands, an attacker or user with access to the tracing interface could exploit this to disrupt normal system operation or cause unexpected behavior.
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by reproducing the bug using specific commands in the Linux kernel tracing subsystem. The provided example commands to trigger the bug are: $ cd /sys/kernel/tracing $ echo 'synthetic_sys_enter char[] comm; long id' >> synthetic_events $ echo 'hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:vals=hitcount:comm=common_pid.execname' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger $ echo 'hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:onmatch(raw_syscalls.sys_enter).synthetic_sys_enter($comm, id)' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger $ echo '!hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:vals=hitcount:comm=common_pid.execname' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger If the system is vulnerable, a kernel BUG or KASAN slab-use-after-free error will appear in the kernel logs.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
The provided text does not specify immediate mitigation steps. However, since this is a Linux kernel vulnerability related to tracing histograms and variables, the general mitigation would be to update the Linux kernel to a version where this vulnerability is resolved.