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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2023-4132

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-08-03
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 6.2.16 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

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 · unedited
A use-after-free vulnerability was found in the siano smsusb module in the Linux kernel. The bug occurs during device initialization when the siano device is plugged in. This flaw allows a local user to crash the system, causing a denial of service condition.

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 confidence

A use-after-free vulnerability exists in the siano smsusb kernel module during device initialization when a Siano USB DVB-T device is plugged in. A local user can trigger this flaw to crash the system, causing denial of service. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management in the device initialization code path.

MitigationApply the upstream kernel patch addressing the use-after-free in the siano smsusb module, rebuild the kernel/module, and deploy the updated kernel to affected systems. Consider disabling the siano module if not needed.

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
Affected:<= 6.2.16
Enterprise LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 8.0
Enterprise Linux For Real TimeOperating system
Affected:= 8.0
Enterprise Linux For Real Time For NfvOperating system
Affected:= 8.0
FedoraOperating system
Affected:all versions
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 10.0= 11.0= 12.0

CVSS 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
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify if the siano module is loaded or loadable
    Run 'lsmod | grep siano' to check if the module is currently loaded. Also check module availability with 'modinfo siano' or look for siano*.ko files in /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/
    Affected if The siano smsusb module is loaded or present on the system and the kernel version is 6.2.16 or lower, or the OS is an affected distribution (RHEL 8.0, Fedora any version, Debian 10.0/11.0/12.0)
  2. Determine the running kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' to get the kernel version and compare it to the affected range: Linux Kernel <= 6.2.16
    Affected if The kernel version is 6.2.16 or lower
  3. Identify the operating system and version
    Check OS version using 'cat /etc/os-release' or 'hostnamectl' - look for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.0, Fedora any version, or Debian 10.0, 11.0, or 12.0
    Affected if The system runs RHEL 8.0, any Fedora version, or Debian 10.0/11.0/12.0 and uses a kernel that includes the vulnerable siano module
  4. Check for Siano USB DVB-T device connectivity
    Inspect USB devices using 'lsusb' and look for Siano-related device entries, or check if the system has USB ports that could accept Siano DVB-T devices
    Affected if A Siano USB DVB-T device is plugged in or could be plugged in while the vulnerable siano module is active
  5. Verify the module source code or build configuration
    If the kernel source is available, check whether the smsusb.c file in drivers/media/usb/siano/ contains the vulnerable initialization code path. Otherwise, rely on kernel version and module presence.
    Affected if The siano smsusb module is present and the kernel has not been patched for CVE-2023-4132

A system is affected if it runs a vulnerable kernel version (6.2.16 or lower) or an affected OS distribution (RHEL 8.0, Fedora any version, Debian 10.0-12.0) and has the siano smsusb module available or loaded, particularly if Siano USB DVB-T devices can be connected.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 6.2.16
Interim mitigation

Apply the upstream kernel patch addressing the use-after-free in the siano smsusb module, rebuild the kernel/module, and deploy the updated kernel to affected systems. Consider disabling the siano module if not needed.

Recommended fix High confidence

Linux Kernel 6.2.17 or later; for Enterprise Linux apply latest available kernel errata

  1. 1. Identify the current kernel version using 'uname -r'
  2. 2. For Linux systems: upgrade kernel to version 6.2.17 or later via distribution package manager (e.g., 'dnf update kernel' or 'apt-get install linux-image-[version]')
  3. 3. For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.x: apply the latest security errata via 'dnf update' after the vendor releases a kernel fix
  4. 4. For Fedora: update to the latest kernel package which should include the fix
  5. 5. For Debian: upgrade to a kernel version that includes the fix (6.2.17 or later)
  6. 6. Reboot the system to load the new kernel
  7. 7. Verify the running kernel version with 'uname -r' to confirm the fix is applied
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require reboot and could introduce compatibility issues with custom kernel modules or proprietary drivers

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,280
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-4132 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data