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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2023-52741

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-21
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.10.168 / 5.15.94 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 use-after-free in rdata->read_into_pages() When the network status is unstable, use-after-free may occur when read data from the server. BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in readpages_fill_pages+0x14c/0x7e0 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x38/0x4c print_report+0x16f/0x4a6 kasan_report+0xb7/0x130 readpages_fill_pages+0x14c/0x7e0 cifs_readv_receive+0x46d/0xa40 cifs_demultiplex_thread+0x121c/0x1490 kthread+0x16b/0x1a0 ret_from_fork+0x2c/0x50 </TASK> Allocated by task 2535: kasan_save_stack+0x22/0x50 kasan_set_track+0x25/0x30 __kasan_kmalloc+0x82/0x90 cifs_readdata_direct_alloc+0x2c/0x110 cifs_readdata_alloc+0x2d/0x60 cifs_readahead+0x393/0xfe0 read_pages+0x12f/0x470 page_cache_ra_unbounded+0x1b1/0x240 filemap_get_pages+0x1c8/0x9a0 filemap_read+0x1c0/0x540 cifs_strict_readv+0x21b/0x240 vfs_read+0x395/0x4b0 ksys_read+0xb8/0x150 do_syscall_64+0x3f/0x90 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc Freed by task 79: kasan_save_stack+0x22/0x50 kasan_set_track+0x25/0x30 kasan_save_free_info+0x2e/0x50 __kasan_slab_free+0x10e/0x1a0 __kmem_cache_free+0x7a/0x1a0 cifs_readdata_release+0x49/0x60 process_one_work+0x46c/0x760 worker_thread+0x2a4/0x6f0 kthread+0x16b/0x1a0 ret_from_fork+0x2c/0x50 Last potentially related work creation: kasan_save_stack+0x22/0x50 __kasan_record_aux_stack+0x95/0xb0 insert_work+0x2b/0x130 __queue_work+0x1fe/0x660 queue_work_on+0x4b/0x60 smb2_readv_callback+0x396/0x800 cifs_abort_connection+0x474/0x6a0 cifs_reconnect+0x5cb/0xa50 cifs_readv_from_socket.cold+0x22/0x6c cifs_read_page_from_socket+0xc1/0x100 readpages_fill_pages.cold+0x2f/0x46 cifs_readv_receive+0x46d/0xa40 cifs_demultiplex_thread+0x121c/0x1490 kthread+0x16b/0x1a0 ret_from_fork+0x2c/0x50 The following function calls will cause UAF of the rdata pointer. readpages_fill_pages cifs_read_page_from_socket cifs_readv_from_socket cifs_reconnect __cifs_reconnect cifs_abort_connection mid->callback() --> smb2_readv_callback queue_work(&rdata->work) # if the worker completes first, # the rdata is freed cifs_readv_complete kref_put cifs_readdata_release kfree(rdata) return rdata->... # UAF in readpages_fill_pages() Similarly, this problem also occurs in the uncache_fill_pages(). Fix this by adjusts the order of condition judgment in the return statement.

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
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:< 5.10.168>= 5.11, < 5.15.94>= 5.16, < 6.1.12= 6.2

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 5.10.168 / 5.15.94 / 6.1.12 or later
Fixed in 5.10.1685.15.946.1.12
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to kernel >= 5.10.168, >= 5.15.94, >= 6.1.12, or >= 6.3 depending on your current branch

  1. Identify the current running kernel version using `uname -r`
  2. Determine which kernel branch your current version belongs to (e.g., 5.10.x, 5.15.x, 6.1.x, 6.2.x)
  3. Upgrade to a fixed kernel version: for 5.10.x line upgrade to >= 5.10.168, for 5.15.x line upgrade to >= 5.15.94, for 6.1.x line upgrade to >= 6.1.12, for 6.2.x upgrade to >= 6.3
  4. Reboot the system to apply the new kernel
  5. Verify the fix is applied by checking the kernel version with `uname -r` and confirming the CIFS module loads without errors
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require rebuild of third-party modules (e.g., NVIDIA drivers, VirtualBox) and should be tested in a staging environment first

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

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Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-52741 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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