CVE-2023-53517

CVE-2023-53517 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: tipc: do not update mtu if msg_max is too small in mtu negotiation When doing link mtu negotiation, a malicious peer may send Activate msg with a very small mtu, e.g. 4 in Shuang's testing, without checking for the minimum mtu, l->mtu will be set to 4 in tipc_link_proto_rcv(), then n->links[bearer_id].mtu is set to 4294967228, which is a overflow of '4 - INT_H_SIZE - EMSG_OVERHEAD' in tipc_link_mss(). With tipc_link.mtu = 4, tipc_link_xmit() kept printing the warning: tipc: Too large msg, purging xmit list 1 5 0 40 4! tipc: Too large msg, purging xmit list 1 15 0 60 4! And with tipc_link_entry.mtu 4294967228, a huge skb was allocated in named_distribute(), and when purging it in tipc_link_xmit(), a crash was even caused: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0x2100001011000dd: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP PTI CPU: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/0 Kdump: loaded Not tainted 6.3.0.neta #19 RIP: 0010:kfree_skb_list_reason+0x7e/0x1f0 Call Trace: <IRQ> skb_release_data+0xf9/0x1d0 kfree_skb_reason+0x40/0x100 tipc_link_xmit+0x57a/0x740 [tipc] tipc_node_xmit+0x16c/0x5c0 [tipc] tipc_named_node_up+0x27f/0x2c0 [tipc] tipc_node_write_unlock+0x149/0x170 [tipc] tipc_rcv+0x608/0x740 [tipc] tipc_udp_recv+0xdc/0x1f0 [tipc] udp_queue_rcv_one_skb+0x33e/0x620 udp_unicast_rcv_skb.isra.72+0x75/0x90 __udp4_lib_rcv+0x56d/0xc20 ip_protocol_deliver_rcu+0x100/0x2d0 This patch fixes it by checking the new mtu against tipc_bearer_min_mtu(), and not updating mtu if it is too small.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-53517?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tipc: do not update mtu if msg_max is too small in mtu negotiation When doing link mtu negotiation, a malicious peer may send Activate msg with a very small mtu, e.g. 4 in Shuang's testing, without checking for the minimum mtu, l->mtu will be set to 4 in tipc_link_proto_rcv(), then n->links[bearer_id].mtu is set to 4294967228, which is a overflow of '4 - INT_H_SIZE - EMSG_OVERHEAD' in tipc_link_mss(). With tipc_link.mtu = 4, tipc_link_xmit() kept printing the warning: tipc: Too large msg, purging xmit list 1 5 0 40 4! tipc: Too large msg, purging xmit list 1 15 0 60 4! And with tipc_link_entry.mtu 4294967228, a huge skb was allocated in named_distribute(), and when purging it in tipc_link_xmit(), a crash was even caused: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0x2100001011000dd: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP PTI CPU: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/0 Kdump: loaded Not tainted 6.3.0.neta #19 RIP: 0010:kfree_skb_list_reason+0x7e/0x1f0 Call Trace: <IRQ> skb_release_data+0xf9/0x1d0 kfree_skb_reason+0x40/0x100 tipc_link_xmit+0x57a/0x740 [tipc] tipc_node_xmit+0x16c/0x5c0 [tipc] tipc_named_node_up+0x27f/0x2c0 [tipc] tipc_node_write_unlock+0x149/0x170 [tipc] tipc_rcv+0x608/0x740 [tipc] tipc_udp_recv+0xdc/0x1f0 [tipc] udp_queue_rcv_one_skb+0x33e/0x620 udp_unicast_rcv_skb.isra.72+0x75/0x90 __udp4_lib_rcv+0x56d/0xc20 ip_protocol_deliver_rcu+0x100/0x2d0 This patch fixes it by checking the new mtu against tipc_bearer_min_mtu(), and not updating mtu if it is too small.
How severe is CVE-2023-53517?
CVE-2023-53517 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-2023-53517 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (3rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-53517?
CVE-2023-53517 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-53517?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2023-53517 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2023-53517 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-32744.
When was CVE-2023-53517 published?
CVE-2023-53517 was published on 2025-10-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

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