CVE-2023-52849: linux kernel Null Dereference — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cxl/mem: Fix shutdown order Ira reports that removing cxl_mock_mem causes a crash with the following trace: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000044 [..] RIP: 0010:cxl_region_decode_reset+0x7f/0x180 [cxl_core] [..] Call Trace: <TASK> cxl_region_detach+0xe8/0x210 [cxl_core] cxl_decoder_kill_region+0x27/0x40 [cxl_core] cxld_unregister+0x29/0x40 [cxl_core] devres_release_all+0xb8/0x110 device_unbind_cleanup+0xe/0x70 device_release_driver_internal+0x1d2/0x210 bus_remove_device+0xd7/0x150 device_del+0x155/0x3e0 device_unregister+0x13/0x60 devm_release_action+0x4d/0x90 ? __pfx_unregister_port+0x10/0x10 [cxl_core] delete_endpoint+0x121/0x130 [cxl_core] devres_release_all+0xb8/0x110 device_unbind_cleanup+0xe/0x70 device_release_driver_internal+0x1d2/0x210 bus_remove_device+0xd7/0x150 device_del+0x155/0x3e0 ? lock_release+0x142/0x290 cdev_device_del+0x15/0x50 cxl_memdev_unregister+0x54/0x70 [cxl_core] This crash is due to the clearing out the cxl_memdev's driver context (@cxlds) before the subsystem is done with it. This is ultimately due to the region(s), that this memdev is a member, being torn down and expecting to be able to de-reference @cxlds, like here: static int cxl_region_decode_reset(struct cxl_region *cxlr, int count) ... if (cxlds->rcd) goto endpoint_reset; ... Fix it by keeping the driver context valid until memdev-device unregistration, and subsequently the entire stack of related dependencies, unwinds.

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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	5.14.8 — 5.15.139
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 6.1.63
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.5.12
linux	linux_kernel	6.6 — 6.6.2

References

Advisories & Patches

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-52849? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cxl/mem: Fix shutdown order Ira reports that removing cxl_mock_mem causes a crash with the following trace: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000044 [..] RIP: 0010:cxl_region_decode_reset+0x7f/0x180 [cxl_core] [..] Call Trace: <TASK> cxl_region_detach+0xe8/0x210 [cxl_core] cxl_decoder_kill_region+0x27/0x40 [cxl_core] cxld_unregister+0x29/0x40 [cxl_core] devres_release_all+0xb8/0x110 device_unbind_cleanup+0xe/0x70 device_release_driver_internal+0x1d2/0x210 bus_remove_device+0xd7/0x150 device_del+0x155/0x3e0 device_unregister+0x13/0x60 devm_release_action+0x4d/0x90 ? __pfx_unregister_port+0x10/0x10 [cxl_core] delete_endpoint+0x121/0x130 [cxl_core] devres_release_all+0xb8/0x110 device_unbind_cleanup+0xe/0x70 device_release_driver_internal+0x1d2/0x210 bus_remove_device+0xd7/0x150 device_del+0x155/0x3e0 ? lock_release+0x142/0x290 cdev_device_del+0x15/0x50 cxl_memdev_unregister+0x54/0x70 [cxl_core] This crash is due to the clearing out the cxl_memdev's driver context (@cxlds) before the subsystem is done with it. This is ultimately due to the region(s), that this memdev is a member, being torn down and expecting to be able to de-reference @cxlds, like here: static int cxl_region_decode_reset(struct cxl_region *cxlr, int count) ... if (cxlds->rcd) goto endpoint_reset; ... Fix it by keeping the driver context valid until memdev-device unregistration, and subsequently the entire stack of related dependencies, unwinds. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2023-52849? +

CVE-2023-52849 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-2023-52849? +

CVE-2023-52849 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-2023-52849? +

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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