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Debian LinuxOperating system · Debian

CVE-2023-52572

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-03-02
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.4.297 / 5.10.237 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click Patch available

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
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cifs: Fix UAF in cifs_demultiplex_thread() There is a UAF when xfstests on cifs: BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in smb2_is_network_name_deleted+0x27/0x160 Read of size 4 at addr ffff88810103fc08 by task cifsd/923 CPU: 1 PID: 923 Comm: cifsd Not tainted 6.1.0-rc4+ #45 ... Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x34/0x44 print_report+0x171/0x472 kasan_report+0xad/0x130 kasan_check_range+0x145/0x1a0 smb2_is_network_name_deleted+0x27/0x160 cifs_demultiplex_thread.cold+0x172/0x5a4 kthread+0x165/0x1a0 ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30 </TASK> Allocated by task 923: kasan_save_stack+0x1e/0x40 kasan_set_track+0x21/0x30 __kasan_slab_alloc+0x54/0x60 kmem_cache_alloc+0x147/0x320 mempool_alloc+0xe1/0x260 cifs_small_buf_get+0x24/0x60 allocate_buffers+0xa1/0x1c0 cifs_demultiplex_thread+0x199/0x10d0 kthread+0x165/0x1a0 ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30 Freed by task 921: kasan_save_stack+0x1e/0x40 kasan_set_track+0x21/0x30 kasan_save_free_info+0x2a/0x40 ____kasan_slab_free+0x143/0x1b0 kmem_cache_free+0xe3/0x4d0 cifs_small_buf_release+0x29/0x90 SMB2_negotiate+0x8b7/0x1c60 smb2_negotiate+0x51/0x70 cifs_negotiate_protocol+0xf0/0x160 cifs_get_smb_ses+0x5fa/0x13c0 mount_get_conns+0x7a/0x750 cifs_mount+0x103/0xd00 cifs_smb3_do_mount+0x1dd/0xcb0 smb3_get_tree+0x1d5/0x300 vfs_get_tree+0x41/0xf0 path_mount+0x9b3/0xdd0 __x64_sys_mount+0x190/0x1d0 do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0 The UAF is because: mount(pid: 921) | cifsd(pid: 923) -------------------------------|------------------------------- | cifs_demultiplex_thread SMB2_negotiate | cifs_send_recv | compound_send_recv | smb_send_rqst | wait_for_response | wait_event_state [1] | | standard_receive3 | cifs_handle_standard | handle_mid | mid->resp_buf = buf; [2] | dequeue_mid [3] KILL the process [4] | resp_iov[i].iov_base = buf | free_rsp_buf [5] | | is_network_name_deleted [6] | callback 1. After send request to server, wait the response until mid->mid_state != SUBMITTED; 2. Receive response from server, and set it to mid; 3. Set the mid state to RECEIVED; 4. Kill the process, the mid state already RECEIVED, get 0; 5. Handle and release the negotiate response; 6. UAF. It can be easily reproduce with add some delay in [3] - [6]. Only sync call has the problem since async call's callback is executed in cifsd process. Add an extra state to mark the mid state to READY before wakeup the waitter, then it can get the resp safely.

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
How this class of weakness works · CWE-416

Memory is used after it has been freed, so its contents — now potentially attacker-controlled — drive the program's behaviour. With careful heap grooming this becomes code execution. The fix requires disciplined ownership of memory and often a targeted rework of the object lifecycle.

General guidance for the use after free class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

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
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 11.0
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 2.6.16, < 5.4.297>= 5.5, < 5.10.237>= 5.11, < 5.15.181>= 5.16, < 6.1.56>= 6.2, < 6.5.6= 6.6

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
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 5.4.297 / 5.10.237 / 5.15.181 or later
Fixed in 5.4.2975.10.2375.15.181
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

Linux kernel 6.1.56+ (or 5.15.181+, 5.10.237+, 5.4.297+ depending on branch)

  1. Upgrade the Linux kernel to version 5.4.297 or later for the 5.4.x branch
  2. Upgrade the Linux kernel to version 5.10.237 or later for the 5.10.x branch
  3. Upgrade the Linux kernel to version 5.15.181 or later for the 5.15.x branch
  4. Upgrade the Linux kernel to version 6.1.56 or later for the 6.1.x branch
  5. For Debian 11.0, apply the vendor kernel update that includes the fix (Linux kernel >= 6.1.56)
  6. Reboot the system to load the fixed kernel
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require system reboot and could have minor driver/compatibility impacts; ensure compatibility with local system configurations before upgrading

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

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $3,200. Get the upgrade done

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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-2023-52572 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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