Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2023-53277 is a Linux kernel flaw in the iwl3945 Wi-Fi driver. A failed workqueue allocation was not checked, which could lead to a NULL pointer dereference and system crash. The impact is availability, not data theft or privilege escalation based on the provided CVSS data.
Executive priority
Handle through normal kernel patch management, with priority for Linux endpoints or systems using legacy Intel iwl3945 Wi-Fi hardware. Business risk is service disruption, not confirmed data compromise. No active exploitation is cited in the provided sources.
Technical view
The kernel iwl3945 driver did not validate create_singlethread_workqueue() before use. The resolved change adds a return-value check to prevent NULL pointer dereference. CVSS 3.1 is 5.5: local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, unchanged scope, high availability impact only.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to Linux systems running affected kernel builds with the iwl3945 wireless driver present or usable. The CVE data lists Linux kernel versions and stable fix commits, but distribution backport status is not provided.
Exploitation context
CISA KEV status is false in the provided data, and no cited source states active exploitation. The CVSS vector indicates exploitation would be local, require low privileges, and primarily cause denial of service through a kernel crash condition.
Researcher notes
The public record is concise and identifies CWE-476. Affected-version data is coarse and includes upstream stable commit references. Distribution-specific exposure requires checking downstream kernel packaging and backports. Avoid assuming exploitability beyond the local availability impact represented in CVSS.
Mitigation direction
- Update to a vendor kernel release containing the referenced stable fixes.
- Check your Linux distribution advisory for backported fixes and exact package versions.
- Prioritize systems where the iwl3945 driver is enabled or hardware is present.
- If patch status is unclear, follow vendor guidance before applying compensating controls.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Linux kernel versions across affected assets.
- Determine whether the iwl3945 driver is built, installed, or loaded.
- Compare deployed kernels against vendor advisories and referenced stable commits.
- Confirm patched packages are installed after maintenance.
- Monitor for kernel crash reports involving iwl3945 or NULL pointer dereference.
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
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-2023-53277 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
- 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/3ae2fc4de12686f3fe695824169c1272c9f798f7CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7e594abc0424e4f8c2385f11aefeaadcfc507aa5CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2f80b3ff92514ebd227e5c55d3d1e480401b02b7CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/505c74c4c0b1c5bcaa98a93b3087c268156070f1CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/34f611204ae589bd5c494b10b41fb13436bd3c3fCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/17e07d6587c55015956862ef3b101fd45fa49fbcCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1fdeb8b9f29dfd64805bb49475ac7566a3cb06cbCVE 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.
NULL Pointer Dereference
NULL Pointer Dereference represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.