CVE-2023-52438
7.8 · HIGHOverview
CVE-2023-52438 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on February 20, 2024 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
Technical Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
binder: fix use-after-free in shinker's callback
The mmap read lock is used during the shrinker's callback, which means
that using alloc->vma pointer isn't safe as it can race with munmap().
As of commit dd2283f2605e ("mm: mmap: zap pages with read mmap_sem in
munmap") the mmap lock is downgraded after the vma has been isolated.
I was able to reproduce this issue by manually adding some delays and
triggering page reclaiming through the shrinker's debug sysfs. The
following KASAN report confirms the UAF:
==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in zap_page_range_single+0x470/0x4b8
Read of size 8 at addr ffff356ed50e50f0 by task bash/478
CPU: 1 PID: 478 Comm: bash Not tainted 6.6.0-rc5-00055-g1c8b86a3799f-dirty #70
Hardware name: linux,dummy-virt (DT)
Call trace:
zap_page_range_single+0x470/0x4b8
binder_alloc_free_page+0x608/0xadc
__list_
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 4.20.0, < 5.4.268 | Affected |
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2023-52438?
CVE-2023-52438 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on February 20, 2024 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2023-52438?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2023-52438?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2023-52438?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2023-52438 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
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