CVE-2023-53535
Description
A missing bounds check flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Broadcom GENET Ethernet driver in the packet receive path. A local user on systems with this hardware can trigger this issue when the network interface receives oversized packets from the network that exceed the nominal 2KiB buffer allocation. This causes the driver to invoke skb_over_panic, resulting in a kernel panic and denial of service.
Statement
The bcmgenet driver allocates socket buffers with a fixed 2KiB size for receiving network packets. Under certain conditions, the hardware can deliver packets that exceed this size—potentially due to malformed packets, misconfigured network equipment, or hardware anomalies. When the driver attempts to process these oversized packets without validating the length first, it triggers skb_over_panic, which immediately crashes the kernel. While the hardware behavior that produces oversized packets is described as occasional, it can occur naturally without malicious intent.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, prevent the genet 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).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 6.5 | 5.5 | 7.1 |
| Attack Vector | Adjacent Network | Local | Adjacent Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | Low | None |
| User Interaction | None | None | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | None | None | Low |
| Integrity Impact | None | None | None |
| Availability Impact | High | High | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/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
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Write operations could cause memory corruption. In some cases, an adversary can modify control data such as return addresses in order to execute unexpected code.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
Attempting to access out-of-range, invalid, or unauthorized memory could cause the product to crash.
Other
Technical Impact: Unexpected State
Subsequent write operations can produce undefined or unexpected results.
Frequently Asked Questions
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