CVE-2023-52473: linux kernel Null Dereference — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: thermal: core: Fix NULL pointer dereference in zone registration error path If device_register() in thermal_zone_device_register_with_trips() returns an error, the tz variable is set to NULL and subsequently dereferenced in kfree(tz->tzp). Commit adc8749b150c ("thermal/drivers/core: Use put_device() if device_register() fails") added the tz = NULL assignment in question to avoid a possible double-free after dropping the reference to the zone device. However, after commit 4649620d9404 ("thermal: core: Make thermal_zone_device_unregister() return after freeing the zone"), that assignment has become redundant, because dropping the reference to the zone device does not cause the zone object to be freed any more. Drop it to address the NULL pointer dereference.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-476 CWE-476

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	6.4.0 — 6.6.14
linux	linux_kernel	6.7.0 — 6.7.2

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/02871710b93058eb1249d5847c0b2d1c2c3c98ae https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04e6ccfc93c5a1aa1d75a537cf27e418895e20ea https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/335176dd8ebaca6493807dceea33c478305667fa https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/02871710b93058eb1249d5847c0b2d1c2c3c98ae https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04e6ccfc93c5a1aa1d75a537cf27e418895e20ea https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/335176dd8ebaca6493807dceea33c478305667fa

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-52473? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: thermal: core: Fix NULL pointer dereference in zone registration error path If device_register() in thermal_zone_device_register_with_trips() returns an error, the tz variable is set to NULL and subsequently dereferenced in kfree(tz->tzp). Commit adc8749b150c ("thermal/drivers/core: Use put_device() if device_register() fails") added the tz = NULL assignment in question to avoid a possible double-free after dropping the reference to the zone device. However, after commit 4649620d9404 ("thermal: core: Make thermal_zone_device_unregister() return after freeing the zone"), that assignment has become redundant, because dropping the reference to the zone device does not cause the zone object to be freed any more. Drop it to address the NULL pointer dereference. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2023-52473? +

CVE-2023-52473 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-52473? +

CVE-2023-52473 affects products from linux, specifically: linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2023-52473? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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