CVE-2023-52451

CVE-2023-52451 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-129.

Key facts

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc/pseries/memhp: Fix access beyond end of drmem array dlpar_memory_remove_by_index() may access beyond the bounds of the drmem lmb array when the LMB lookup fails to match an entry with the given DRC index. When the search fails, the cursor is left pointing to &drmem_info->lmbs[drmem_info->n_lmbs], which is one element past the last valid entry in the array. The debug message at the end of the function then dereferences this pointer: pr_debug("Failed to hot-remove memory at %llx\n", lmb->base_addr); This was found by inspection and confirmed with KASAN: pseries-hotplug-mem: Attempting to hot-remove LMB, drc index 1234 ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in dlpar_memory+0x298/0x1658 Read of size 8 at addr c000000364e97fd0 by task bash/949 dump_stack_lvl+0xa4/0xfc (unreliable) print_report+0x214/0x63c kasan_report+0x140/0x2e0 __asan_load8+0xa8/0xe0 dlpar_memory+0x298/0x1658 handle_dlpar_errorlog+0x130/0x1d0 dlpar_store+0x18c/0x3e0 kobj_attr_store+0x68/0xa0 sysfs_kf_write+0xc4/0x110 kernfs_fop_write_iter+0x26c/0x390 vfs_write+0x2d4/0x4e0 ksys_write+0xac/0x1a0 system_call_exception+0x268/0x530 system_call_vectored_common+0x15c/0x2ec Allocated by task 1: kasan_save_stack+0x48/0x80 kasan_set_track+0x34/0x50 kasan_save_alloc_info+0x34/0x50 __kasan_kmalloc+0xd0/0x120 __kmalloc+0x8c/0x320 kmalloc_array.constprop.0+0x48/0x5c drmem_init+0x2a0/0x41c do_one_initcall+0xe0/0x5c0 kernel_init_freeable+0x4ec/0x5a0 kernel_init+0x30/0x1e0 ret_from_kernel_user_thread+0x14/0x1c The buggy address belongs to the object at c000000364e80000 which belongs to the cache kmalloc-128k of size 131072 The buggy address is located 0 bytes to the right of allocated 98256-byte region [c000000364e80000, c000000364e97fd0) ================================================================== pseries-hotplug-mem: Failed to hot-remove memory at 0 Log failed lookups with a separate message and dereference the cursor only when it points to a valid entry.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-52451?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc/pseries/memhp: Fix access beyond end of drmem array dlpar_memory_remove_by_index() may access beyond the bounds of the drmem lmb array when the LMB lookup fails to match an entry with the given DRC index. When the search fails, the cursor is left pointing to &drmem_info->lmbs[drmem_info->n_lmbs], which is one element past the last valid entry in the array. The debug message at the end of the function then dereferences this pointer: pr_debug("Failed to hot-remove memory at %llx\n", lmb->base_addr); This was found by inspection and confirmed with KASAN: pseries-hotplug-mem: Attempting to hot-remove LMB, drc index 1234 ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in dlpar_memory+0x298/0x1658 Read of size 8 at addr c000000364e97fd0 by task bash/949 dump_stack_lvl+0xa4/0xfc (unreliable) print_report+0x214/0x63c kasan_report+0x140/0x2e0 __asan_load8+0xa8/0xe0 dlpar_memory+0x298/0x1658 handle_dlpar_errorlog+0x130/0x1d0 dlpar_store+0x18c/0x3e0 kobj_attr_store+0x68/0xa0 sysfs_kf_write+0xc4/0x110 kernfs_fop_write_iter+0x26c/0x390 vfs_write+0x2d4/0x4e0 ksys_write+0xac/0x1a0 system_call_exception+0x268/0x530 system_call_vectored_common+0x15c/0x2ec Allocated by task 1: kasan_save_stack+0x48/0x80 kasan_set_track+0x34/0x50 kasan_save_alloc_info+0x34/0x50 __kasan_kmalloc+0xd0/0x120 __kmalloc+0x8c/0x320 kmalloc_array.constprop.0+0x48/0x5c drmem_init+0x2a0/0x41c do_one_initcall+0xe0/0x5c0 kernel_init_freeable+0x4ec/0x5a0 kernel_init+0x30/0x1e0 ret_from_kernel_user_thread+0x14/0x1c The buggy address belongs to the object at c000000364e80000 which belongs to the cache kmalloc-128k of size 131072 The buggy address is located 0 bytes to the right of allocated 98256-byte region [c000000364e80000, c000000364e97fd0) ================================================================== pseries-hotplug-mem: Failed to hot-remove memory at 0 Log failed lookups with a separate message and dereference the cursor only when it points to a valid entry.
How severe is CVE-2023-52451?
CVE-2023-52451 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-52451 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (16th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-52451?
CVE-2023-52451 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-52451?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2023-52451 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2023-52451 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-57076.
When was CVE-2023-52451 published?
CVE-2023-52451 was published on 2024-02-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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