Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2023-3317
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA use-after-free flaw was found in mt7921_check_offload_capability in drivers/net/wireless/mediatek/mt76/mt7921/init.c in wifi mt76/mt7921 sub-component in the Linux Kernel. This flaw could allow an attacker to crash the system after 'features' memory release. This vulnerability could even lead to a kernel information leak problem.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceA use-after-free vulnerability exists in the Linux Kernel's mt7921 wireless driver (mt76 sub-component) in the mt7921_check_offload_capability function. The flaw occurs when memory for 'features' is released but subsequently accessed, allowing an attacker to crash the system or potentially leak kernel memory information.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
>= 6.2, < 6.2.15= 6.3CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify mt7921 wireless hardware presenceRun 'lspci | grep -i radio' or 'ip link show' to list wireless interfaces, then check if the device is mt7921 using 'lspci -k' or by examining '/sys/class/net/*/device/driver'Affected if The system has a mt7921 wireless adapter present and loaded
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Confirm mt76 driver module is loadedRun 'lsmod | grep mt76' to list loaded mt76 driver modules, or check '/proc/modules'Affected if The mt76 driver module (such as mt7921e, mt7921s, or mt76x2e) is loaded in memory
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Check kernel version against affected rangeRun 'uname -r' to get the running kernel version and compare: Linux Kernel >= 6.2 but < 6.2.15, or exactly version 6.3Affected if The kernel version falls within 6.2.0 through 6.2.14 inclusive, or is exactly 6.3.0
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped6.2.15
Apply the Linux Kernel security patch for CVE-2023-3317; until then, limit exposure by restricting untrusted user access to the mt7921 wireless interface.
Linux Kernel 6.2.15+ or 6.4+
- 1. Check current kernel version using 'uname -r' to confirm the system is running an affected version (6.2.x where x<15, or 6.3.x)
- 2. Schedule a maintenance window for the kernel upgrade (this will require a system reboot)
- 3. Upgrade the Linux kernel package to version 6.2.15 or later, or 6.4 or later, using your distribution's package manager (e.g., 'apt-get dist-upgrade', 'yum update', or 'dnf upgrade')
- 4. Ensure the new kernel is the default boot entry in the bootloader (GRUB configuration)
- 5. Reboot the system to load the patched kernel
- 6. Verify the running kernel version is now >= 6.2.15 or >= 6.4 using 'uname -r'
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Linux Kernel
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-3317 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-3317 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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