Welcome to our dedicated page on CVE-2024-46853, designed to shed light on this significant cybersecurity concern impacting certain Linux kernel configurations. As LinuxPatch users, staying informed about such vulnerabilities ensures that your systems maintain robust security against potential exploits.
About the Vulnerability:
The CVE-2024-46853 was identified in the Linux kernel's NXP-FSPI driver, which is utilized majorly in handling SPI memory operations on NXP (formerly Freescale) microprocessors. This CVE was assigned a severity score of 7.8, characterizing it as high due to its potential to allow unauthorized data manipulation or exposure.
The flaw was noticed during operations where data written to the NOR chip was not aligned to 4 bytes, specifically when attempts were made to write 3-byte data to '/dev/mtd0'. This incorrect data alignment led to an 'out-of-bounds' memory access error, where the system accessed memory beyond the allocated space, which can lead to data corruption or other unintended behaviors.
Technical Breakdown:
A detailed error occurred in the 'nxp_fspi_exec_op' function where a memory corruption (KASAN slab-out-of-bounds error) was observed. This error occurred due to an improper use of the 'memcpy' function, which did not correctly check the alignment and size of the memory before writing data to the TX FIFO (Transmit First-In-First-Out) buffer.
This mismanagement was symptomatic of deeper issues in handling SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) communications, particularly those involving non-standard data sizes, as typically, data communications are optimized for standard word sizes like 2, 4, or more bytes.
To reproduce this issue, the 'dd' command was used, as shown in the error logs, pointing to how a simple command could trigger a significant fault in systems relying on this kernel configuration.
Impact and Risks:
This vulnerability exposes systems to potential security risks including data corruption, system crashes, and unauthorized information access if exploited. It particularly affects systems using NXP microprocessors with the specific fspi module. These systems could inadvertently process unexpected data sizes that could lead to overflows and potential command execution anomalies.
Resolution:
The Linux kernel maintainers addressed this issue by modifying the 'memcpy' length parameter to ensure that data writes into the memory are always within the bounds of allocated memory sizes. This update is crucial for preventing potential future exploits that could target this vulnerability.
Recommendations for LinuxPatch Users:
1. Ensure that your system has the latest Linux kernel updates installed, particularly those that address CVE-2024-46853.
2. Regularly check for advisories from Linux and hardware vendors like NXP for updates related to your specific hardware configurations.
3. Consider conducting regular system audits and vulnerability assessments to identify and mitigate potential security weaknesses.
Our commitment at LinuxPatch is to provide you with timely and accurate updates concerning vulnerabilities affecting Linux systems. Stay tuned for more detailed reports and advice on maintaining a secure operating environment.