CVE-2023-53605
Description
A memory leak flaw was found in the Linux kernel's AMD display driver in the display context construction logic. A local user can trigger this issue during AMD GPU initialization when the dc_construct_ctx function fails to release allocated memory in error paths. This results in permanent memory leaks leading to resource exhaustion and denial of service.
Statement
The dc_construct_ctx function is responsible for initializing the display controller context during AMD GPU driver initialization. When errors occur during this process, certain code paths fail to free previously allocated memory structures before returning. Since this function is called during driver initialization and errors are typically fatal (preventing the driver from loading successfully), the leaked memory persists until system reboot. While the leak occurs once per failed initialization rather than repeatedly during runtime, it represents wasted memory resources that cannot be reclaimed without rebooting.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, prevent the amdgpu module from being loaded. See https://access.redhat.com/solutions/41278 for instructions on blacklisting kernel modules.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.5 | 5.5 | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | Local | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | Low | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | None | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | None | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | None | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | High | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Resource Consumption (Other)
An attacker that can influence the allocation of resources that are not properly maintained could deplete the available resource pool and prevent all other processes from accessing the same type of resource.
Frequently Asked Questions
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