CVE-2023-54066
Null Pointer Dereference in Linux DVB-USB gl861 I2C Driver
Publication date: 2025-12-24
Last updated on: 2025-12-24
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | kernel | * |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-UNKNOWN |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
Apply the patch or update to a Linux kernel version that includes the fix for the null pointer dereference in gl861_i2c_master_xfer. The fix involves adding a check on msg[i].len to prevent the crash caused by null pointer dereference. Until patched, avoid using vulnerable media dvb-usb-v2 devices that use the gl861 driver with untrusted input.
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel's media dvb-usb-v2 driver for the gl861 device. Specifically, in the function gl861_i2c_master_xfer, the msg parameter is user-controlled. If msg[i].buf is null and msg[i].len is zero, previous checks on msg[i].buf are bypassed, leading to a null pointer dereference when the code accesses msg[i].buf[0] without verifying msg[i].len. This can cause the kernel to crash. The fix involves adding a check on msg[i].len to prevent this crash.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can cause a null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel, which may lead to a kernel crash or denial of service. Since the msg parameter is user-controlled, a malicious user could exploit this to crash the system or disrupt its operation.