CVE-2023-54257
Memory Corruption in Linux Kernel macb Driver's DMA Handling
Publication date: 2025-12-30
Last updated on: 2025-12-30
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
| Probability: | |
| Percentile: |
Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | 5.4.0 |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-UNKNOWN |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a memory corruption issue in the Linux kernel's macb network driver when operating in extended buffer descriptor mode. It involves the device driver attempting to free DMA memory that it did not allocate, leading to potential failures in networking and MMC on affected devices. The problem was sensitive to software changes and kernel debug options, and it was identified through debug messages related to DMA memory management.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
The vulnerability can cause sudden and permanent failures in networking and MMC functionality on affected devices. This could lead to system instability, loss of network connectivity, and potential disruption of services relying on the network or MMC storage.
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by monitoring kernel logs for specific error messages related to DMA memory handling by the macb driver. Look for messages such as 'DMA-API: macb ... device driver tries to free DMA memory it has not allocated' or warnings about overlapping DMA mappings. Enabling kernel debug options like CONFIG_DMA_API_DEBUG=y can help reproduce and detect the issue. You can use the command 'dmesg | grep -i dma' or 'journalctl -k | grep -i dma' to search for relevant kernel warnings or errors.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
Immediate mitigation involves updating the Linux kernel to a version where this vulnerability is fixed. Since the issue is related to the macb driver and DMA memory corruption, applying the patch that fixes the macb extended buffer descriptor mode memory corruption is necessary. Additionally, disabling CONFIG_DMA_API_DEBUG or kernel debug options may reduce the sensitivity to the bug but does not fix it. Monitoring kernel logs for the described errors can help identify if the system is affected until the update is applied.