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🛡️ CVE-2023-52478 — kernel

🟠 CVSS 8.8 — High ✅ No Known Exploit NVD
8.8
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

HID: logitech-hidpp: Fix kernel crash on receiver USB disconnect

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

HID: logitech-hidpp: Fix kernel crash on receiver USB disconnect

hidpp_connect_event() has *four* time-of-check vs time-of-use (TOCTOU)

races when it races with itself.

hidpp_connect_event() primarily runs from a workqueue but it also runs

on probe() and if a "device-connected" packet is received by the hw

when the thread running hidpp_connect_event() from probe() is waiting on

the hw, then a second thread running hidpp_connect_event() will be

started from the workqueue.

This opens the following races (note the below code is simplified):

1. Retrieving + printing the protocol (harmless race):

if (!hidpp->protocol_major) {

hidpp_root_get_protocol_version()

hidpp->protocol_major = response.rap.params[0];

}

We can actually see this race hit in the dmesg in the abrt output

attached to rhbz#2227968:

[ 3064.624215] logitech-hidpp-device 0003:046D:4071.0049: HID++ 4.5 device connected.

[ 3064.658184] logitech-hidpp-device 0003:046D:4071.0049: HID++ 4.5 device connected.

Testing with extra logging added has shown that after this the 2 threads

take turn grabbing the hw access mutex (send_mutex) so they ping-pong

through all the other TOCTOU cases managing to hit all of them:

2. Updating the name to the HIDPP name (harmless race):

if (hidpp->name == hdev->name) {

...

hidpp->name = new_name;

}

3. Initializing the power_supply class for the battery (problematic!):

hidpp_initialize_battery()

{

if (hidpp->battery.ps)

return 0;

probe_battery(); /* Blocks, threads take turns executing this */

hidpp->battery.desc.properties =

devm_kmemdup(dev, hidpp_battery_props, cnt, GFP_KERNEL);

hidpp->battery.ps =

devm_power_supply_register(&hidpp->hid_dev->dev,

&hidpp->battery.desc, cfg);

}

4. Creating delayed input_device (potentially problematic):

if (hidpp->delayed_input)

return;

hidpp->delayed_input = hidpp_allocate_input(hdev);

The really big problem here is 3. Hitting the race leads to the following

sequence:

hidpp->battery.desc.properties =

devm_kmemdup(dev, hidpp_battery_props, cnt, GFP_KERNEL);

hidpp->battery.ps =

devm_power_supply_register(&hidpp->hid_dev->dev,

&hidpp->battery.desc, cfg);

...

hidpp->battery.desc.properties =

devm_kmemdup(dev, hidpp_battery_props, cnt, GFP_KERNEL);

hidpp->battery.ps =

devm_power_supply_register(&hidpp->hid_dev->dev,

&hidpp->battery.desc, cfg);

So now we have registered 2 power supplies for the same battery,

which looks a bit weird from userspace's pov but this is not even

the really big problem.

Notice how:

1. This is all devm-maganaged

2. The hidpp->battery.desc struct is shared between the 2 power supplies

3. hidpp->battery.desc.properties points to the result from the second

devm_kmemdup()

This causes a use after free scenario on USB disconnect of the receiver:

1. The last registered power supply class device gets unregistered

2. The memory from the last devm_kmemdup() call gets freed,

hidpp->battery.desc.properties now points to freed memory

3. The first registered power supply class device gets unregistered,

this involves sending a remove uevent to userspace which invokes

power_supply_uevent() to fill the uevent data

4. power_supply_uevent() uses hidpp->battery.desc.properties which

now points to freed memory leading to backtraces like this one:

Sep 22 20:01:35 eric kernel: BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffb2140e017f08

...

Sep 22 20:01:35 eric kernel: Workqueue: usb_hub_wq hub_event

Sep 22 20:01:35 eric kernel: RIP: 0010:power_supply_uevent+0xee/0x1d0

...

Sep 22 20:01:35 eric kernel: ? asm_exc_page_fault+0x26/0x30

Sep 22 20:01:35 eric kernel: ? power_supply_uevent+0xee/0x1d0

Sep 22 20:01:35 eric kernel: ? power_supply_uevent+0x10d/0x1d0

Sep 22 20:01:35 eric kernel: dev_uevent+0x10f/0x2d0

Sep 22 20:01:35 eric kernel: kobject_uevent_env+0x291/0x680

Sep 22 20:01:35 eric kernel:

---truncated---

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached from an adjacent network, attack complexity is low, an attacker needs no privileges on the target. No user interaction is required. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability high.

CVSS metrics in full

The score comes from this vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

  • Attack vector: Adjacent network — the attacker has to sit on the same local or logical network.
  • Attack complexity: Low — the attack works reliably, with no preparation.
  • Privileges required: None — an unauthenticated stranger can try it.
  • User interaction: None — nobody has to be tricked into anything.
  • Scope: Unchanged — the damage stays inside the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.
  • Integrity impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.
  • Availability impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.

Affected software

CVE-2023-52478 is recorded against 2 packages.

  • kernel (from 6.2.0 up to 6.5.8)
  • linux-kernel

Timeline and source

Published on 29 February 2024 and last revised on 12 August 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. A vendor advisory or fix has been published. Record sourced from NVD.

References

git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
github.com (Advisory)
nvd.nist.gov (Advisory)
git.kernel.org (Package)

Other advisories for this package

kernel has other advisories on record. If you are patching this one, these are worth checking on the same host:

CVE-2023-52478 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity High
CVSS Score 8.8
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CWE N/A
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source NVD
Published 2024-02-29
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2026-08-12

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
kernel 6.2.0 6.5.8
linux-kernel — —

References

Similar Threats

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