CVE-2023-52562

CVE-2023-52562 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/slab_common: fix slab_caches list corruption after kmem_cache_destroy() After the commit in Fixes:, if a module that created a slab cache does not release all of its allocated objects before destroying the cache (at rmmod time), we might end up releasing the kmem_cache object without removing it from the slab_caches list thus corrupting the list as kmem_cache_destroy() ignores the return value from shutdown_cache(), which in turn never removes the kmem_cache object from slabs_list in case __kmem_cache_shutdown() fails to release all of the cache's slabs. This is easily observable on a kernel built with CONFIG_DEBUG_LIST=y as after that ill release the system will immediately trip on list_add, or list_del, assertions similar to the one shown below as soon as another kmem_cache gets created, or destroyed: [ 1041.213632] list_del corruption. next->prev should be ffff89f596fb5768, but was 52f1e5016aeee75d. (next=ffff89f595a1b268) [ 1041.219165] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 1041.221517] kernel BUG at lib/list_debug.c:62! [ 1041.223452] invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP PTI [ 1041.225408] CPU: 2 PID: 1852 Comm: rmmod Kdump: loaded Tainted: G B W OE 6.5.0 #15 [ 1041.228244] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS edk2-20230524-3.fc37 05/24/2023 [ 1041.231212] RIP: 0010:__list_del_entry_valid+0xae/0xb0 Another quick way to trigger this issue, in a kernel with CONFIG_SLUB=y, is to set slub_debug to poison the released objects and then just run cat /proc/slabinfo after removing the module that leaks slab objects, in which case the kernel will panic: [ 50.954843] general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xa56b6b6b6b6b6b8b: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP PTI [ 50.961545] CPU: 2 PID: 1495 Comm: cat Kdump: loaded Tainted: G B W OE 6.5.0 #15 [ 50.966808] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS edk2-20230524-3.fc37 05/24/2023 [ 50.972663] RIP: 0010:get_slabinfo+0x42/0xf0 This patch fixes this issue by properly checking shutdown_cache()'s return value before taking the kmem_cache_release() branch.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-52562?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/slab_common: fix slab_caches list corruption after kmem_cache_destroy() After the commit in Fixes:, if a module that created a slab cache does not release all of its allocated objects before destroying the cache (at rmmod time), we might end up releasing the kmem_cache object without removing it from the slab_caches list thus corrupting the list as kmem_cache_destroy() ignores the return value from shutdown_cache(), which in turn never removes the kmem_cache object from slabs_list in case __kmem_cache_shutdown() fails to release all of the cache's slabs. This is easily observable on a kernel built with CONFIG_DEBUG_LIST=y as after that ill release the system will immediately trip on list_add, or list_del, assertions similar to the one shown below as soon as another kmem_cache gets created, or destroyed: [ 1041.213632] list_del corruption. next->prev should be ffff89f596fb5768, but was 52f1e5016aeee75d. (next=ffff89f595a1b268) [ 1041.219165] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 1041.221517] kernel BUG at lib/list_debug.c:62! [ 1041.223452] invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP PTI [ 1041.225408] CPU: 2 PID: 1852 Comm: rmmod Kdump: loaded Tainted: G B W OE 6.5.0 #15 [ 1041.228244] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS edk2-20230524-3.fc37 05/24/2023 [ 1041.231212] RIP: 0010:__list_del_entry_valid+0xae/0xb0 Another quick way to trigger this issue, in a kernel with CONFIG_SLUB=y, is to set slub_debug to poison the released objects and then just run cat /proc/slabinfo after removing the module that leaks slab objects, in which case the kernel will panic: [ 50.954843] general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xa56b6b6b6b6b6b8b: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP PTI [ 50.961545] CPU: 2 PID: 1495 Comm: cat Kdump: loaded Tainted: G B W OE 6.5.0 #15 [ 50.966808] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS edk2-20230524-3.fc37 05/24/2023 [ 50.972663] RIP: 0010:get_slabinfo+0x42/0xf0 This patch fixes this issue by properly checking shutdown_cache()'s return value before taking the kmem_cache_release() branch.
How severe is CVE-2023-52562?
CVE-2023-52562 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-52562 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (13th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-52562?
CVE-2023-52562 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-52562?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2023-52562 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2023-52562 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-57186.
When was CVE-2023-52562 published?
CVE-2023-52562 was published on 2024-03-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

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