CVE-2023-52849

cxl/mem: Fix shutdown order

Published May 21, 2024 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

cxl/mem: Fix shutdown order

Ira reports that removing cxl_mock_mem causes a crash with the following
trace:

BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000044
[..]
RIP: 0010:cxl_region_decode_reset+0x7f/0x180 [cxl_core]
[..]
Call Trace:
<TASK>
cxl_region_detach+0xe8/0x210 [cxl_core]
cxl_decoder_kill_region+0x27/0x40 [cxl_core]
cxld_unregister+0x29/0x40 [cxl_core]
devres_release_all+0xb8/0x110
device_unbind_cleanup+0xe/0x70
device_release_driver_internal+0x1d2/0x210
bus_remove_device+0xd7/0x150
device_del+0x155/0x3e0
device_unregister+0x13/0x60
devm_release_action+0x4d/0x90
? __pfx_unregister_port+0x10/0x10 [cxl_core]
delete_endpoint+0x121/0x130 [cxl_core]
devres_release_all+0xb8/0x110
device_unbind_cleanup+0xe/0x70
device_release_driver_internal+0x1d2/0x210
bus_remove_device+0xd7/0x150
device_del+0x155/0x3e0
? lock_release+0x142/0x290
cdev_device_del+0x15/0x50
cxl_memdev_unregister+0x54/0x70 [cxl_core]

This crash is due to the clearing out the cxl_memdev's driver context
(@cxlds) before the subsystem is done with it. This is ultimately due to
the region(s), that this memdev is a member, being torn down and expecting
to be able to de-reference @cxlds, like here:

static int cxl_region_decode_reset(struct cxl_region *cxlr, int count)
...
if (cxlds->rcd)
goto endpoint_reset;
...

Fix it by keeping the driver context valid until memdev-device
unregistration, and subsequently the entire stack of related
dependencies, unwinds.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 4.4, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
May 23, 2026, 3:27 PM
Reserved
May 21, 2024, 3:19 PM
Status
Analyzed
Published
May 21, 2024, 4:15 PM
Modified
Jun 17, 2026, 6:43 AM
Severity
Low
Public date
May 21, 2024, 12:00 AM