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CVE Record

CVE-2023-53601: bonding: do not assume skb mac_header is set

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bonding: do not assume skb mac_header is set Drivers must not assume in their ndo_start_xmit() that skbs have their mac_header set. skb->data is all what is needed. bonding seems to be one of the last offender as caught by syzbot: WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 12155 at include/linux/skbuff.h:2907 skb_mac_offset include/linux/skbuff.h:2913 [inline] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 12155 at include/linux/skbuff.h:2907 bond_xmit_hash drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:4170 [inline] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 12155 at include/linux/skbuff.h:2907 bond_xmit_3ad_xor_slave_get drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5149 [inline] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 12155 at include/linux/skbuff.h:2907 bond_3ad_xor_xmit drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5186 [inline] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 12155 at include/linux/skbuff.h:2907 __bond_start_xmit drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5442 [inline] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 12155 at include/linux/skbuff.h:2907 bond_start_xmit+0x14ab/0x19d0 drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5470 Modules linked in: CPU: 1 PID: 12155 Comm: syz-executor.3 Not tainted 6.1.30-syzkaller #0 Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 05/25/2023 RIP: 0010:skb_mac_header include/linux/skbuff.h:2907 [inline] RIP: 0010:skb_mac_offset include/linux/skbuff.h:2913 [inline] RIP: 0010:bond_xmit_hash drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:4170 [inline] RIP: 0010:bond_xmit_3ad_xor_slave_get drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5149 [inline] RIP: 0010:bond_3ad_xor_xmit drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5186 [inline] RIP: 0010:__bond_start_xmit drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5442 [inline] RIP: 0010:bond_start_xmit+0x14ab/0x19d0 drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5470 Code: 8b 7c 24 30 e8 76 dd 1a 01 48 85 c0 74 0d 48 89 c3 e8 29 67 2e fe e9 15 ef ff ff e8 1f 67 2e fe e9 10 ef ff ff e8 15 67 2e fe <0f> 0b e9 45 f8 ff ff e8 09 67 2e fe e9 dc fa ff ff e8 ff 66 2e fe RSP: 0018:ffffc90002fff6e0 EFLAGS: 00010283 RAX: ffffffff835874db RBX: 000000000000ffff RCX: 0000000000040000 RDX: ffffc90004dcf000 RSI: 00000000000000b5 RDI: 00000000000000b6 RBP: ffffc90002fff8b8 R08: ffffffff83586d16 R09: ffffffff83586584 R10: 0000000000000007 R11: ffff8881599fc780 R12: ffff88811b6a7b7e R13: 1ffff110236d4f6f R14: ffff88811b6a7ac0 R15: 1ffff110236d4f76 FS: 00007f2e9eb47700(0000) GS:ffff8881f6b00000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 0000001b2e421000 CR3: 000000010e6d4000 CR4: 00000000003526e0 DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000 DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400 Call Trace: <TASK> [<ffffffff8471a49f>] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4925 [inline] [<ffffffff8471a49f>] __dev_direct_xmit+0x4ef/0x850 net/core/dev.c:4380 [<ffffffff851d845b>] dev_direct_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3043 [inline] [<ffffffff851d845b>] packet_direct_xmit+0x18b/0x300 net/packet/af_packet.c:284 [<ffffffff851c7472>] packet_snd net/packet/af_packet.c:3112 [inline] [<ffffffff851c7472>] packet_sendmsg+0x4a22/0x64d0 net/packet/af_packet.c:3143 [<ffffffff8467a4b2>] sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:716 [inline] [<ffffffff8467a4b2>] sock_sendmsg net/socket.c:736 [inline] [<ffffffff8467a4b2>] __sys_sendto+0x472/0x5f0 net/socket.c:2139 [<ffffffff8467a715>] __do_sys_sendto net/socket.c:2151 [inline] [<ffffffff8467a715>] __se_sys_sendto net/socket.c:2147 [inline] [<ffffffff8467a715>] __x64_sys_sendto+0xe5/0x100 net/socket.c:2147 [<ffffffff8553071f>] do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline] [<ffffffff8553071f>] do_syscall_64+0x2f/0x50 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80 [<ffffffff85600087>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysisunknown

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2023-53601 is a Linux kernel bonding driver flaw found by syzbot. The source shows a kernel warning when bonding code assumes packet metadata is present. Business impact is unclear because no CVSS, CWE, or concrete security impact is provided.

Executive priority

Treat this as a kernel hygiene item, not an emergency, based on available evidence. Prioritize patching where Linux bonding carries production traffic, but do not claim active exploitation or business-critical urgency without additional vendor impact data.

Technical view

The bonding ndo_start_xmit path used skb_mac_offset through bond_xmit_hash while assuming skb mac_header was set. The source says drivers must use skb->data instead. The trace involves bonding 802.3ad/xor transmit paths and AF_PACKET send flow on a syzkaller kernel.

Likely exposure

Exposure appears limited to Linux systems running affected kernel versions with the bonding driver in use. The supplied affected data lists Linux kernel versions including 5.12 through 6.5-era entries, but distribution backport status must be verified separately.

Exploitation context

The source identifies syzbot discovery and provides a kernel warning trace. KEV is false, and the bundle provides no evidence of active exploitation, public weaponization, remote reachability, privilege impact, or reliable denial-of-service impact.

Researcher notes

Evidence is narrow: the bundle shows a resolved Linux bonding bug, syzbot trace, affected kernel version data, and stable commit references. It does not establish attack prerequisites, user privileges, network adjacency, impact class, or exploit reliability.

Mitigation direction

  • Inventory Linux hosts using kernel bonding interfaces.
  • Identify kernels matching the supplied affected version data.
  • Update to a kernel containing the referenced stable fixes.
  • Check distribution vendor advisories for backported kernel packages.
  • Prioritize systems where bonding supports production network paths.

Validation and detection

  • Check running kernel versions against vendor package advisories.
  • Confirm whether bonding module or bonded interfaces are active.
  • Review kernel changelogs for the referenced stable commit IDs.
  • Reboot into the fixed kernel after package updates.
  • Monitor kernel logs for recurring bonding skb warnings.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
7

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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CVE-2023-53601 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

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.

0CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
0ADP providers
6Source links

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux7b8fc0103bb51d1d3e1fb5fd67958612e709f883, 7b8fc0103bb51d1d3e1fb5fd67958612e709f883, 7b8fc0103bb51d1d3e1fb5fd67958612e709f883, 7b8fc0103bb51d1d3e1fb5fd67958612e709f883, 7b8fc0103bb51d1d3e1fb5fd67958612e709f883unaffected
LinuxLinux5.12, 0, 5.15.121, 6.1.39, 6.3.13, 6.4.4, 6.5affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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