Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2023-52938 is a Linux kernel flaw in the USB Type-C UCSI driver. A null pointer dereference can occur when the driver tries to resume ports before they are registered. The documented impact is availability only: a local, low-privileged user could potentially cause a crash or denial of service on affected systems.
Executive priority
Treat as a routine-to-moderate availability risk. It is not presented as remotely exploitable or actively exploited in the supplied sources. Prioritize patching for workstations, laptops, or servers where local users or USB Type-C hardware make the affected driver path relevant.
Technical view
The issue is CWE-476 in Linux kernel USB Type-C UCSI resume handling. The vulnerable path attempts to resume UCSI ports before port registration, causing a null pointer dereference. CVSS 3.1 is 5.5: local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, unchanged scope, high availability impact, no confidentiality or integrity impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Linux systems running affected kernel versions or commits with the relevant USB Type-C UCSI driver code. The source bundle lists Linux 6.1.1 and specific kernel commits as affected references, but does not provide a full distribution-by-distribution impact matrix.
Exploitation context
No active exploitation is stated in the provided sources, and this CVE is not marked as CISA KEV. The CVSS vector indicates exploitation requires local access and low privileges. The practical risk is system instability or denial of service rather than data theft or privilege escalation, based on the provided impact metrics.
Researcher notes
The record describes a resolved Linux kernel null pointer dereference caused by premature UCSI port resume. Public references are stable kernel commits, but the supplied data does not include exploit proof, distro advisories, or a complete affected-version range. Avoid assuming broader impact without checking downstream kernel packaging.
Mitigation direction
- Review vendor or Linux distribution advisories for fixed kernel packages.
- Prioritize updates on systems using USB Type-C UCSI functionality.
- Apply kernel updates that include the referenced stable fixes where applicable.
- If patching is delayed, monitor affected systems for unexpected kernel crashes.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Linux hosts and kernel versions.
- Check whether systems use the USB Type-C UCSI driver path.
- Compare installed kernels against vendor advisories and referenced stable commits.
- Confirm updated kernels are running after maintenance reboots.
Public sources used
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-476: Exact CWE lookup
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Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-52938 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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.
SSVC decision data
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:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H1.83.6CISA-ADPVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdd11d7136fd070b3a74d6d8799d9eac28a57fc5CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f82060da749c611ed427523b6d1605d87338aac1CVE reference, Linux
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.