dbcve.org
Debian LinuxOperating system · Debian

CVE-2023-6270

HIGH · 7.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-01-04
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.9 or later.
See remediation →
72/100
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 flaw was found in the ATA over Ethernet (AoE) driver in the Linux kernel. The aoecmd_cfg_pkts() function improperly updates the refcnt on `struct net_device`, and a use-after-free can be triggered by racing between the free on the struct and the access through the `skbtxq` global queue. This could lead to a denial of service condition or potential code execution.

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 · high confidence

A use-after-free vulnerability exists in the ATA over Ethernet (AoE) driver in the Linux kernel. The aoecmd_cfg_pkts() function improperly manages the reference counter (refcnt) on struct net_device, creating a race condition between the free operation on the structure and access through the skbtxq global queue. An attacker can exploit this race to trigger use-after-free, potentially leading to denial of service or code execution.

MitigationApply the upstream kernel patch that corrects the refcnt handling in aoecmd_cfg_pkts() to properly maintain reference counting on struct net_device and eliminate the race condition.

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
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 10.0
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:< 6.9
FedoraOperating system
Affected:= 39

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
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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. Check kernel version
    Run `uname -r` or `cat /proc/version` to obtain the running kernel version
    Affected if Kernel version is less than 6.9, or the system runs Debian 10 or Fedora 39
  2. Verify AoE driver is loaded
    Run `lsmod | grep aoe` to check if the aoe kernel module is currently loaded
    Affected if The aoe module appears in the loaded module list, indicating the vulnerable driver is active
  3. Check for AoE block devices
    Run `ls -la /dev/etherd/` or `aoe-stat` (if aoe-tools is installed) to see if any AoE devices are configured
    Affected if Any AoE devices or interfaces exist, meaning the driver is actively handling network packets
  4. Confirm AoE support in kernel
    Check kernel config with `zcat /proc/config.gz 2>/dev/null || cat /boot/config-$(uname -r) 2>/dev/null | grep -i CONFIG_AOE`
    Affected if CONFIG_AOE is set to y or m, meaning AoE support is compiled into the kernel
  5. Inspect skbtxq usage
    Check system logs for any crash dumps or kernel oops messages mentioning 'aoecmd_cfg_pkts' or 'use-after-free' in the AoE driver context
    Affected if Any kernel panic, oops, or use-after-free errors related to the AoE driver are present

The system is affected if the kernel version is below 6.9 (or matches Debian 10/Fedora 39) AND the AoE driver is loaded or actively handling AoE devices, as the race condition requires the vulnerable code path in aoecmd_cfg_pkts() to be exercised.

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 6.9 or later
Fixed in 6.9
Interim mitigation

Apply the upstream kernel patch that corrects the refcnt handling in aoecmd_cfg_pkts() to properly maintain reference counting on struct net_device and eliminate the race condition.

Recommended fix High confidence

Linux Kernel 6.9 or later; or vendor-provided kernel update that includes the fix for CVE-2023-6270

  1. 1. Identify the current Linux kernel version using `uname -r`
  2. 2. For systems running kernel < 6.9, schedule a maintenance window for kernel upgrade
  3. 3. Update the system package repository to fetch the latest kernel packages
  4. 4. Install the new kernel version 6.9 or later using the distribution's package manager (e.g., `apt-get update && apt-get install linux-image-*` for Debian, or `dnf update kernel` for Fedora)
  5. 5. Reboot the system to load the new kernel
  6. 6. Verify the new kernel version is running with `uname -r` and confirm it is >= 6.9
  7. 7. Verify the AoE driver is loaded and functioning correctly
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require rebooting and could have compatibility implications with proprietary kernel modules or specific hardware drivers; test in staging environment before production deployment

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

Fix this in Debian Linux Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
24.0 hours of engineering $4,160
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,656.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-6270 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2023-6270 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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