Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: posix-timers: Ensure timer...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
posix-timers: Ensure timer ID search-loop limit is valid
posix_timer_add() tries to allocate a posix timer ID by starting from the
cached ID which was stored by the last successful allocation.
This is done in a loop searching the ID space for a free slot one by
one. The loop has to terminate when the search wrapped around to the
starting point.
But that's racy vs. establishing the starting point. That is read out
lockless, which leads to the following problem:
CPU0 CPU1
posix_timer_add()
start = sig->posix_timer_id;
lock(hash_lock);
... posix_timer_add()
if (++sig->posix_timer_id < 0)
start = sig->posix_timer_id;
sig->posix_timer_id = 0;
So CPU1 can observe a negative start value, i.e. -1, and the loop break
never happens because the condition can never be true:
if (sig->posix_timer_id == start)
break;
While this is unlikely to ever turn into an endless loop as the ID space is
huge (INT_MAX), the racy read of the start value caught the attention of
KCSAN and Dmitry unearthed that incorrectness.
Rewrite it so that all id operations are under the hash lock.
Impact
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-2023-53728? CVE-2023-53728 is a unknown-severity security vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-53728? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2023-53728 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2023-53728 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-53728 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-2023-53728 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.