Vulnerability in Linux kernel (CVE-2023-52761)
Summary
Vulnerability in Linux kernel (CVE-2023-52761). Successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover. Exploitable via shadow_stack.
Original description
The description as published by the source.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
riscv: VMAP_STACK overflow detection thread-safe
commit 31da94c25aea ("riscv: add VMAP_STACK overflow detection") added
support for CONFIG_VMAP_STACK. If overflow is detected, CPU switches to
shadow_stack temporarily before switching finally to per-cpu
overflow_stack.
If two CPUs/harts are racing and end up in over flowing kernel stack, one
or both will end up corrupting each other state because shadow_stack is
not per-cpu. This patch optimizes per-cpu overflow stack switch by
directly picking per-cpu overflow_stack and gets rid of shadow_stack.
Following are the changes in this patch
- Defines an asm macro to obtain per-cpu symbols in destination
register. - In entry.S, when overflow is detected, per-cpu overflow stack is
located using per-cpu asm macro. Computing per-cpu symbol requires
a temporary register. x31 is saved away into CSR_SCRATCH
(CSR_SCRATCH is anyways zero since we're in kernel).
Please see Links for additional relevant disccussion and alternative
solution.
Tested by echo EXHAUST_STACK > /sys/kernel/debug/provoke-crash/DIRECT
Kernel crash log below
Insufficient stack space to handle exception!/debug/provoke-crash/DIRECT
Task stack: [0xff20000010a98000..0xff20000010a9c000]
Overflow stack: [0xff600001f7d98370..0xff600001f7d99370]
CPU: 1 PID: 205 Comm: bash Not tainted 6.1.0-rc2-00001-g328a1f96f7b9 #34
Hardware name: riscv-virtio,qemu (DT)
epc : __mems…
Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database NVD
Auto-generated summary
Assembled by SecPulse from the source data (CVSS, CWE, affected versions) using templates — no AI involved. Check the original description and references below for exact details.
A vulnerability tracked as CVE-2023-52761 has been found in Linux kernel.
Attackers can target a specific entry point like shadow_stack over the network to misuse the product.
Successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover. CVSS score: 7.8/10.
What to do: apply the vendor's official patched release.
If unsure, ask your IT team or search "Linux kernel CVE-2023-52761" on the vendor's site.
CVE-2023-52761 (Linux kernel) — CWE-674 / CVSS v3 7.8
Attack vector: local / no user interaction
Attack surface: shadow_stack / overflow_stack
Plan: 1) Audit SBOM/dependencies, 2) Stage→prod upgrade, 3) Add WAF/proxy monitoring on affected endpoints, 4) Hunt IOCs in logs.
Refs: see the GHSA / vendor advisory / patched release linked on this page.
A vulnerability (CWE-674) exists in Linux kernel. Attackers reach the vulnerable code path via shadow_stack.
Check the vendor advisory for the affected versions of Linux kernel. Attack surface: shadow_stack / overflow_stack.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.8/10). Successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover.
Update to the patched release per vendor advisory.
Until the patch is applied: disable the affected feature, apply WAF rules, or restrict access via network ACLs.
Search webserver/proxy logs for unusual request patterns matching this CVE's known IOCs. Audit SBOM/dependencies to find affected services.
Response actions
Concrete steps and command examples for SOC/SRE teams to execute in order
-
1Identify exposure identify
Audit SBOM/dependencies for affected components.資産台帳・SBOM・依存マニフェストで Linux kernel を使っているサービスとバージョンを洗い出す。
-
2Post-deployment verification verify
Confirm patched version is live in productionパッチ適用後、ステージングで PoC または同等の悪用パターンを再現して脆弱性が閉じたことを確認。本番ではアクセスログ・WAF でアラート再発が無いか継続監視。
Affected packages
Fix status by distribution
Fixed packages published by each distribution for this CVE
- Debian DEBIAN-CVE-2023-52761 linux
- Ubuntu UBUNTU-CVE-2023-52761 linux
References
- advisory github.com
- advisory nvd.nist.gov
- package git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org