Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2023-4010 is a Linux kernel USB handling flaw that can make a system hang by processing a malformed USB descriptor. The business impact is denial of service, not data theft. The risk is mainly to systems where an attacker can present untrusted USB input, which usually requires physical access or equivalent device-level control.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate availability risk. It is important for exposed endpoints, labs, kiosks, and operational systems where physical USB access is realistic, but it is not supported as a remote compromise or data-loss issue by the supplied sources.
Technical view
The flaw is in the Linux USB Host Controller Driver framework, specifically usb_giveback_urb(). A logic error around a goto condition can prevent the function from returning when given a specific malformed descriptor, causing an infinite loop. The mapped weakness is CWE-835, with CVSS 3.1 score 4.6 and vector AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most plausible on Linux systems accepting untrusted USB devices. The source bundle lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and 7 kernel packages with unknown default status, while Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 and 9 kernel and kernel-rt packages are listed as unaffected.
Exploitation context
The CVE is not listed as KEV in the provided bundle, so active exploitation is not established here. The CVSS vector requires physical access. A public GitHub reference exists, but the supplied evidence does not prove broad exploitation or weaponized use.
Researcher notes
Key uncertainty is affected-version precision: the bundle lists RHEL 6 and 7 package status as unknown and RHEL 8 and 9 as unaffected. No specific patch version or workaround is provided in the supplied evidence, so remediation should be anchored to vendor advisories rather than inferred kernel versions.
Mitigation direction
- Check Red Hat guidance for affected kernel versions and fixes.
- Inventory RHEL 6 and RHEL 7 kernel and kernel-rt systems.
- Limit untrusted USB device access on sensitive Linux hosts.
- Apply vendor-provided kernel fixes when guidance identifies them.
- Document RHEL 8 and RHEL 9 as unaffected only where package status matches.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether systems run RHEL 6 or RHEL 7 kernel packages.
- Compare installed kernels against Red Hat CVE guidance.
- Review physical and administrative controls for USB device insertion.
- Prioritize validation on shared, kiosk, lab, and field-accessible systems.
- Record compensating controls where patch guidance is unavailable.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-835: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-4010 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 4.6 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H0.93.6Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
4.6MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-4010CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHBZ#2227726CVE reference · issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://github.com/wanrenmi/a-usb-kernel-bugCVE reference
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')
Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.