Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/tests: helpers: Avoid a...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
drm/tests: helpers: Avoid a driver uaf
when using __drm_kunit_helper_alloc_drm_device() the driver may be
dereferenced by device-managed resources up until the device is
freed, which is typically later than the kunit-managed resource code
frees it. Fix this by simply make the driver device-managed as well.
In short, the sequence leading to the UAF is as follows:
INIT:
Code allocates a struct device as a kunit-managed resource.
Code allocates a drm driver as a kunit-managed resource.
Code allocates a drm device as a device-managed resource.
EXIT:
Kunit resource cleanup frees the drm driver
Kunit resource cleanup puts the struct device, which starts a
device-managed resource cleanup
device-managed cleanup calls drm_dev_put()
drm_dev_put() dereferences the (now freed) drm driver -> Boom.
Related KASAN message:
[55272.551542] ==================================================================
[55272.551551] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in drm_dev_put.part.0+0xd4/0xe0 [drm]
[55272.551603] Read of size 8 at addr ffff888127502828 by task kunit_try_catch/10353
[55272.551612] CPU: 4 PID: 10353 Comm: kunit_try_catch Tainted: G U N 6.5.0-rc7+ #155
[55272.551620] Hardware name: ASUS System Product Name/PRIME B560M-A AC, BIOS 0403 01/26/2021
[55272.551626] Call Trace:
[55272.551629]
[55272.551633] dump_stack_lvl+0x57/0x90
[55272.551639] print_report+0xcf/0x630
[55272.551645] ? _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x5f/0x70
[55272.551652] ? drm_dev_put.part.0+0xd4/0xe0 [drm]
[55272.551694] kasan_report+0xd7/0x110
[55272.551699] ? drm_dev_put.part.0+0xd4/0xe0 [drm]
[55272.551742] drm_dev_put.part.0+0xd4/0xe0 [drm]
[55272.551783] devres_release_all+0x15d/0x1f0
[55272.551790] ? __pfx_devres_release_all+0x10/0x10
[55272.551797] device_unbind_cleanup+0x16/0x1a0
[55272.551802] device_release_driver_internal+0x3e5/0x540
[55272.551808] ? kobject_put+0x5d/0x4b0
[55272.551814] bus_remove_device+0x1f1/0x3f0
[55272.551819] device_del+0x342/0x910
[55272.551826] ? __pfx_device_del+0x10/0x10
[55272.551830] ? lock_release+0x339/0x5e0
[55272.551836] ? kunit_remove_resource+0x128/0x290 [kunit]
[55272.551845] ? __pfx_lock_release+0x10/0x10
[55272.551851] platform_device_del.part.0+0x1f/0x1e0
[55272.551856] ? _raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore+0x30/0x60
[55272.551863] kunit_remove_resource+0x195/0x290 [kunit]
[55272.551871] ? _raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore+0x30/0x60
[55272.551877] kunit_cleanup+0x78/0x120 [kunit]
[55272.551885] ? __kthread_parkme+0xc1/0x1f0
[55272.551891] ? __pfx_kunit_try_run_case_cleanup+0x10/0x10 [kunit]
[55272.551900] ? __pfx_kunit_generic_run_threadfn_adapter+0x10/0x10 [kunit]
[55272.551909] kunit_generic_run_threadfn_adapter+0x4a/0x90 [kunit]
[55272.551919] kthread+0x2e7/0x3c0
[55272.551924] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10
[55272.551929] ret_from_fork+0x2d/0x70
[55272.551935] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10
[55272.551940] ret_from_fork_asm+0x1b/0x30
[55272.551948]
[55272.551953] Allocated by task 10351:
[55272.551956] kasan_save_stack+0x1c/0x40
[55272.551962] kasan_set_track+0x21/0x30
[55272.551966] __kasan_kmalloc+0x8b/0x90
[55272.551970] __kmalloc+0x5e/0x160
[55272.551976] kunit_kmalloc_array+0x1c/0x50 [kunit]
[55272.551984] drm_exec_test_init+0xfa/0x2c0 [drm_exec_test]
[55272.551991] kunit_try_run_case+0xdd/0x250 [kunit]
[55272.551999] kunit_generic_run_threadfn_adapter+0x4a/0x90 [kunit]
[55272.552008] kthread+0x2e7/0x3c0
[55272.552012] ret_from_fork+0x2d/0x70
[55272.552017] ret_from_fork_asm+0x1b/0x30
[55272.552024] Freed by task 10353:
[55272.552027] kasan_save_stack+0x1c/0x40
[55272.552032] kasan_set_track+0x21/0x30
[55272.552036] kasan_save_free_info+0x27/0x40
[55272.552041] __kasan_slab_free+0x106/0x180
[55272.552046] slab_free_freelist_hook+0xb3/0x160
[55272.552051] __kmem_cache_free+0xb2/0x290
[55272.552056] kunit_remove_resource+0x195/0x290 [kunit]
[55272.552064] kunit_cleanup+0x7
---truncated---
Impact
Memory is accessed after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior in native code. Typical impact: memory corruption, crash, or potential code execution.
CVE-2023-53235 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (High). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-53235? CVE-2023-53235 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet. Memory is accessed after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior in native code.
- How severe is CVE-2023-53235? CVE-2023-53235 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-53235? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2023-53235 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2023-53235 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-53235 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2023-53235 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.