high CVSS 7.1

CVE-2023-52842·Kernel vulnerability

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: virtio/vsock: Fix uninit-value in virtio_transport_recv_pkt() KMSAN reported the following uninit-value access issue: ===================================================== BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in virtio_transport_recv_pkt+0x1dfb/0x26a0 net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c:1421 virtio_transport_recv_pkt+0x1dfb/0x26a0 net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c:1421 vsock_loopback_work+0x3bb/0x5a0 net/vmw_vsock/vsock_loopback.c:120 process_one_work kernel/workqueue.c:2630 [inline] process_scheduled_works+0xff6/0x1e60 kernel/workqueue.c:2703 worker_thread+0xeca/0x14d0 kernel/workqueue.c:2784 kthread+0x3cc/0x520 kernel/kthread.c:388 ret_from_fork+0x66/0x80 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:147 ret_from_fork_asm+0x11/0x20 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:304 Uninit was stored to memory at: virtio_transport_space_update net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c:1274 [inline] virtio_transport_recv_pkt+0x1ee8/0x26a0 net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c:1415 vsock_loopback_work+0x3bb/0x5a0 net/vmw_vsock/vsock_loopback.c:120 process_one_work kernel/workqueue.c:2630 [inline] process_scheduled_works+0xff6/0x1e60 kernel/workqueue.c:2703 worker_thread+0xeca/0x14d0 kernel/workqueue.c:2784 kthread+0x3cc/0x520 kernel/kthread.c:388 ret_from_fork+0x66/0x80 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:147 ret_from_fork_asm+0x11/0x20 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:304 Uninit was created at: slab_post_alloc_hook+0x105/0xad0 mm/slab.h:767 slab_alloc_node mm/slub.c:3478 [inline] kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x5a2/0xaf0 mm/slub.c:3523 kmalloc_reserve+0x13c/0x4a0 net/core/skbuff.c:559 __alloc_skb+0x2fd/0x770 net/core/skbuff.c:650 alloc_skb include/linux/skbuff.h:1286 [inline] virtio_vsock_alloc_skb include/linux/virtio_vsock.h:66 [inline] virtio_transport_alloc_skb+0x90/0x11e0 net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c:58 virtio_transport_reset_no_sock net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c:957 [inline] virtio_transport_recv_pkt+0x1279/0x26a0 net/vmw_vsock/virtio_transport_common.c:1387 vsock_loopback_work+0x3bb/0x5a0 net/vmw_vsock/vsock_loopback.c:120 process_one_work kernel/workqueue.c:2630 [inline] process_scheduled_works+0xff6/0x1e60 kernel/workqueue.c:2703 worker_thread+0xeca/0x14d0 kernel/workqueue.c:2784 kthread+0x3cc/0x520 kernel/kthread.c:388 ret_from_fork+0x66/0x80 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:147 ret_from_fork_asm+0x11/0x20 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:304 CPU: 1 PID: 10664 Comm: kworker/1:5 Not tainted 6.6.0-rc3-00146-g9f3ebbef746f #3 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.2-1.fc38 04/01/2014 Workqueue: vsock-loopback vsock_loopback_work ===================================================== The following simple reproducer can cause the issue described above: int main(void) { int sock; struct sockaddr_vm addr = { .svm_family = AF_VSOCK, .svm_cid = VMADDR_CID_ANY, .svm_port = 1234, }; sock = socket(AF_VSOCK, SOCK_STREAM, 0); connect(sock, (struct sockaddr *)&addr, sizeof(addr)); return 0; } This issue occurs because the `buf_alloc` and `fwd_cnt` fields of the `struct virtio_vsock_hdr` are not initialized when a new skb is allocated in `virtio_transport_init_hdr()`. This patch resolves the issue by initializing these fields during allocation.

Severity
high
Software
Kernel
Fixed in
6.6.2
Published
2024-05-21

Affected versions

From: 6.3

Until: 6.6.2

Fixed in: 6.6.2

How to fix this CVE

Update your Linux kernel to version 6.6.2 or later to resolve an uninitialized memory access vulnerability in the virtio vsock transport layer. This vulnerability can cause information disclosure and denial of service when virtio vsock packets are processed. Apply the kernel update through your distribution's package manager and reboot to activate the patched kernel.

sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Step 1: Check your current kernel version with: uname -r
  2. Step 2: Verify if virtio vsock is in use by running: lsmod | grep vsock
  3. Step 3: Search system logs for vsock-related errors: sudo journalctl -u kernel --grep='vsock' | grep -i 'error\|uninit'
  4. Step 4: After patching, confirm the updated kernel is running: uname -r (should show 6.6.2 or later)

FAQ

What is CVE-2023-52842?

This vulnerability is an uninitialized memory access flaw in the Linux kernel's virtio vsock transport mechanism where certain packet header fields are not properly initialized during socket buffer allocation, allowing uninitialized kernel memory to be read or causing system crashes.

Is CVE-2023-52842 being actively exploited?

No, this vulnerability is not currently listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and no public exploits are available.

What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2023-52842?

Linux kernel versions 6.3 through 6.6.1 are affected. The vulnerability was fixed in kernel version 6.6.2 and later.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2023-52842?

Run 'uname -r' to see your kernel version. If it reports 6.3.x, 6.4.x, 6.5.x, or 6.6.0-6.6.1, your system is vulnerable. Additionally, check if vsock functionality is active with 'lsmod | grep vsock'.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2023-52842?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If the Linux kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2023-52842 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

Related Kernel CVEs

CVE-2026-100075CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/srpt: Fix srpt_alloc_rw_ctxs() unwind counters When srpt_alloc_rw_ctxs() fails partway through a multi-buffer indirect descriptor, the unwind path destroys RDMA contexts but leaves stale n_rw_ctx and n_rdma values (and a dangling rw_ctxs pointer). Later sq_wr_avail accounting in srpt_queue_response() or srpt_write_pending() can then subtract the wrong number of send queue credits. Reset the counters and clear rw_ctxs after freeing the heap allocation before returning an error.
CVE-2026-64397CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ksmbd: serialize QUERY_DIRECTORY requests per file smb2_query_dir() stores a pointer to its stack-allocated private data in the ksmbd_file readdir_data. Concurrent QUERY_DIRECTORY requests using the same file handle can overwrite this pointer while an iterate_dir() callback is still using it, resulting in a stack use-after-free. Add a per-file mutex and hold it while accessing the shared directory enumeration state. The lock covers scan restart, dot entry state, readdir_data setup and iteration, and response construction. This prevents another request from replacing readdir_data.private before the current request has finished using it and also serializes the shared file position.
CVE-2026-64399CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ksmbd: add permission checks for FSCTL_DUPLICATE_EXTENTS_TO_FILE The FSCTL_DUPLICATE_EXTENTS_TO_FILE arm of smb2_ioctl() overwrites the destination file's data via vfs_clone_file_range() with neither the share-level KSMBD_TREE_CONN_FLAG_WRITABLE check nor a per-handle fp->daccess check that the other write-bearing arms carry. A client can overwrite destination data on a read-only share, or from a handle opened with only FILE_WRITE_ATTRIBUTES (which still yields an FMODE_WRITE filp). FILE_WRITE_ATTRIBUTES-only destination handle overwrote the file's data via the clone. Add both checks, matching the FSCTL_SET_SPARSE permission fix; require FILE_WRITE_DATA since this writes data.
CVE-2026-64066CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfs: Fix netfs_read_to_pagecache() to pause on subreq failure Fix netfs_read_to_pagecache() so that it pauses the generation of new subrequests if an already-issued subrequest fails.
CVE-2026-52924CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sctp: purge outqueue on stale COOKIE-ECHO handling sctp_stream_update() is only invoked when the association is moved into COOKIE_WAIT during association setup/reconfiguration. In this path, the outbound stream scheduler state (stream->out_curr) is expected to be clean, since no user data should have been transmitted yet unless the state machine has already partially progressed. However, a corner case exists in sctp_sf_do_5_2_6_stale(): when a Stale Cookie ERROR is received, the association is rolled back from COOKIE_ECHOED to COOKIE_WAIT. In this scenario, user data may already have been queued and even bundled with the COOKIE-ECHO chunk. During the rollback, sctp_stream_update() frees the old stream table and installs a new one, but it does not invalidate stream->out_curr. As a result, out_curr may still point to a freed sctp_stream_out entry from the previous stream state. Later, SCTP scheduler dequeue paths (FCFS, RR, PRIO, etc.) rely on stream->out_curr->ext, which can lead to use-after-free once the old stream state has been released via sctp_stream_free(). This results in crashes such as (reported by Yuqi): BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in sctp_sched_fcfs_dequeue+0x13a/0x140 Read of size 8 at addr ff1100004d4d3208 by task mini_poc/9312 CPU: 1 UID: 1001 PID: 9312 Comm: mini_poc Not tainted 7.1.0-rc1-00305-gbd3a4795d574 #5 PREEMPT(full) sctp_sched_fcfs_dequeue+0x13a/0x140 sctp_outq_flush+0x1603/0x33e0 sctp_do_sm+0x31c9/0x5d30 sctp_assoc_bh_rcv+0x392/0x6f0 sctp_inq_push+0x1db/0x270 sctp_rcv+0x138d/0x3c10 Fix this by fully purging the association outqueue when handling the Stale Cookie case. This ensures all pending transmit and retransmit state is dropped, and any scheduler cached pointers are invalidated, making it safe to rebuild stream state during COOKIE_WAIT restart. Updating only stream->out_curr would be insufficient, since queued and retransmittable data would still reference the old stream state and trigger later use-after-free in dequeue paths.

References

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