CVE-2023-53998
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BaseFortify

Publication date: 2025-12-24

Last updated on: 2025-12-29

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: hwrng: virtio - Fix race on data_avail and actual data The virtio rng device kicks off a new entropy request whenever the data available reaches zero. When a new request occurs at the end of a read operation, that is, when the result of that request is only needed by the next reader, then there is a race between the writing of the new data and the next reader. This is because there is no synchronisation whatsoever between the writer and the reader. Fix this by writing data_avail with smp_store_release and reading it with smp_load_acquire when we first enter read. The subsequent reads are safe because they're either protected by the first load acquire, or by the completion mechanism. Also remove the redundant zeroing of data_idx in random_recv_done (data_idx must already be zero at this point) and data_avail in request_entropy (ditto).
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Meta Information
Published
2025-12-24
Last Modified
2025-12-29
Generated
2026-05-07
AI Q&A
2025-12-24
EPSS Evaluated
2026-05-05
NVD
CVE-2023-53998
EUVD
EUVD-2025-205151
Affected Vendors & Products
Currently, no data is known.
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?

This vulnerability is a race condition in the Linux kernel's virtio random number generator (rng) device. When the data available reaches zero, the device requests new entropy. However, if this request happens at the end of a read operation, there is a race between the writer updating the new data and the next reader accessing it, due to lack of synchronization between them. This can lead to inconsistent or incorrect data being read.


How can this vulnerability impact me? :

The race condition can cause the random number generator to provide incorrect or inconsistent entropy data to consumers. This may affect applications or systems relying on the randomness for security functions, potentially weakening cryptographic operations or other security mechanisms that depend on high-quality random data.


What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?

Apply the Linux kernel update that includes the fix for the virtio rng device race condition as described. This fix involves synchronization changes in the kernel code to prevent the race between writer and reader. Until the update is applied, consider minimizing reliance on the virtio rng device for entropy if possible.


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