Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: ipset: Rework...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: ipset: Rework long task execution when adding/deleting entries
When adding/deleting large number of elements in one step in ipset, it can
take a reasonable amount of time and can result in soft lockup errors. The
patch 5f7b51bf09ba ("netfilter: ipset: Limit the maximal range of
consecutive elements to add/delete") tried to fix it by limiting the max
elements to process at all. However it was not enough, it is still possible
that we get hung tasks. Lowering the limit is not reasonable, so the
approach in this patch is as follows: rely on the method used at resizing
sets and save the state when we reach a smaller internal batch limit,
unlock/lock and proceed from the saved state. Thus we can avoid long
continuous tasks and at the same time removed the limit to add/delete large
number of elements in one step.
The nfnl mutex is held during the whole operation which prevents one to
issue other ipset commands in parallel.
Impact
CVE-2023-53549 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). 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-2023-53549? CVE-2023-53549 is a medium-severity security vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet.
- How severe is CVE-2023-53549? CVE-2023-53549 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). 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-2023-53549? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2023-53549 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2023-53549 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-53549 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-2023-53549 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.