Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A Linux kernel race condition can corrupt memory when multiple local processes manipulate synthetic tracing events simultaneously. The resulting use-after-free or double-free may compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Exploitation requires local access and permission to write the synthetic_events tracing interface, so exposure depends heavily on host permissions and kernel version.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority local kernel issue, especially on shared Linux hosts or systems exposing tracing controls to non-administrators. Patch through supported vendor channels after confirming affected packages. The supplied evidence does not justify an emergency response based on active exploitation, but memory corruption with high potential impact warrants timely remediation.
Technical view
Concurrent writes to /sys/kernel/tracing/synthetic_events can race while accessing and freeing the shared last_cmd value. This produces documented double-free and use-after-free conditions observed with KASAN. The kernel fix adds lastcmd_mutex serialization. CVSS 3.1 is 7.8, reflecting local, low-complexity exploitation requiring low privileges and no user interaction.
Likely exposure
Potentially exposed systems run an affected Linux kernel and permit a local process to write the synthetic_events tracing node. The supplied record associates the issue with Linux 5.18 and later version markers, but its version formatting is insufficient to determine every vulnerable distribution package. Confirm exposure against vendor kernel advisories and backported fixes.
Exploitation context
The supplied sources demonstrate reproducibility under KASAN and describe memory corruption scenarios. They do not establish reliable privilege escalation, remote exploitation, or exploitation in the wild. The CVE is not listed as KEV in the provided bundle.
Researcher notes
Primary evidence documents asynchronous access to last_cmd and both double-free and use-after-free outcomes. The mutex change directly addresses the race. Exact affected and fixed release boundaries are not unambiguously represented in the supplied version list, so distribution-specific backport verification remains necessary. No exploit reliability or real-world abuse evidence is provided.
Mitigation direction
- Update to a vendor-supported kernel containing the linked lastcmd_mutex fix.
- Check distribution security advisories for backports rather than relying only on upstream version numbers.
- Restrict untrusted local access to the tracing synthetic_events interface where operationally feasible.
- Prioritize multi-user systems where lower-privileged processes can access kernel tracing controls.
Validation and detection
- Record the running kernel and distribution package versions on potentially exposed hosts.
- Confirm the vendor package includes one of the referenced fixes or an equivalent backport.
- Review permissions and access controls for /sys/kernel/tracing/synthetic_events.
- Use approved defensive testing with kernel diagnostics; avoid reproducing memory corruption on production systems.
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
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ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CVE-2023-53478 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
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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:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9LinuxVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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
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Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9fe183f659a2704255e5d84f6ae308c234a113ecCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8826d9e7bd51e7656f78baa4472e8e2f5e7069f0CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ccf11c4e8a8e051499d53a12f502196c97a758eCVE 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.