Linux Kernel Vulnerability in virtio-mmio Affects Memory Management

CVE-2023-53515

What is CVE-2023-53515?

In the Linux kernel, a vulnerability associated with virtio-mmio has been identified that disrupts the lifecycle management of vm_dev structures. This issue arises because the vm_dev structure, which contains a 'struct device', functions independently according to its lifecycle. Mismanagement occurs when the vm_dev structure is allocated with devres, leading to a release callback that does not function as intended. Instead of maintaining proper memory allocation and waiting for the vm_dev release callback, memory is freed prematurely when the platform_device is removed. This results in a dangerous use-after-free condition. The fix involves avoiding the use of devres for vm_dev in order to preserve object integrity and prevent potential exploit scenarios.

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