Vulnerability · Published May 2, 2025 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2023-53138net: caif: Fix use-after-free in cfusbl_device_notify()

High 7.8

In plain English

A high-severity security flaw in Linux from Linux. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 9% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)7.8High
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 90.9% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsnot in CISA KEV
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: caif: Fix use-after-free in cfusbl_device_notify() syzbot reported use-after-free in cfusbl_device_notify() [1]. This causes a stack trace like below: BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in cfusbl_device_notify+0x7c9/0x870 net/caif/caif_usb.c:138 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88807ac4e6f0 by task kworker/u4:6/1214 CPU: 0 PID: 1214 Comm: kworker/u4:6 Not tainted 5.19.0-rc3-syzkaller-00146-g92f20ff72066 #0 Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 01/01/2011 Workqueue: netns cleanup_net Call Trace: <TASK> __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:88 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0xcd/0x134 lib/dump_stack.c:106 print_address_description.constprop.0.cold+0xeb/0x467 mm/kasan/report.c:313 print_report mm/kasan/report.c:429 [inline] kasan_report.cold+0xf4/0x1c6 mm/kasan/report.c:491 cfusbl_device_notify+0x7c9/0x870 net/caif/caif_usb.c:138 notifier_call_chain+0xb5/0x200 kernel/notifier.c:87 call_netdevice_notifiers_info+0xb5/0x130 net/core/dev.c:1945 call_netdevice_notifiers_extack net/core/dev.c:1983 [inline] call_netdevice_notifiers net/core/dev.c:1997 [inline] netdev_wait_allrefs_any net/core/dev.c:10227 [inline] netdev_run_todo+0xbc0/0x10f0 net/core/dev.c:10341 default_device_exit_batch+0x44e/0x590 net/core/dev.c:11334 ops_exit_list+0x125/0x170 net/core/net_namespace.c:167 cleanup_net+0x4ea/0xb00 net/core/net_namespace.c:594 process_one_work+0x996/0x1610 kernel/workqueue.c:2289 worker_thread+0x665/0x1080 kernel/workqueue.c:2436 kthread+0x2e9/0x3a0 kernel/kthread.c:376 ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:302 </TASK> When unregistering a net device, unregister_netdevice_many_notify() sets the device's reg_state to NETREG_UNREGISTERING, calls notifiers with NETDEV_UNREGISTER, and adds the device to the todo list. Later on, devices in the todo list are processed by netdev_run_todo(). netdev_run_todo() waits devices' reference count become 1 while rebdoadcasting NETDEV_UNREGISTER notification. When cfusbl_device_notify() is called with NETDEV_UNREGISTER multiple times, the parent device might be freed. This could cause UAF. Processing NETDEV_UNREGISTER multiple times also causes inbalance of reference count for the module. This patch fixes the issue by accepting only first NETDEV_UNREGISTER notification.

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:12linux6.1.20-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53138
Debian:13linux6.1.20-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53138
Debian:14linux6.1.20-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux5.15.0-79.86UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws5.15.0-1042.47UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure5.15.0-1045.52UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde5.15.0-1045.52.1UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp5.15.0-1039.47UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gke5.15.0-1039.44UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gkeop5.15.0-1025.30UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-ibm5.15.0-1035.38UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iotg5.15.0-1037.42UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-kvm5.15.0-1039.44UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency5.15.0-79.88UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia5.15.0-1030.30UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-tegra5.15.0-1016.16UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-tegra-igx5.15.0-1002.2UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle5.15.0-1040.46UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-raspi5.15.0-1035.38UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-xilinx-zynqmp5.15.0-1025.29UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee – before 68a45c3cf0e2242a533657f4f535d9b6a7447a797ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee – before 1793da97a23e31c5bf06631f3f3e5a25f368fd647ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee – before 9dc16be373b382ddd4c274052a6e870a95e76c017ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee – before c3aaec463a632cf4187dc017e421bfa69d7834a97ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee – before 3f14457e1584224f4296af613bbd99deb60b5d917ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee – before 287027d8a567168a5d8ce5cb0cba16a34791a48c7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee – before d1a11bbdbb5ea9f172019c5a4a3e9d8eabd721797ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee – before 9781e98a97110f5e76999058368b4be76a788484
Linux Linux 3.3

References