Skip to main content

Boteraser | Website and Server Security Solutions

🛡️ CVE-2023-53785 on Ubuntu — linux

⚪ Unknown ✅ No Known Exploit OSV
N/A
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mt76: mt7921: don't assume adequate headroom for SDIO headers mt7921_usb_sdio_tx_prepare_skb() calls mt7921_usb_sdio_write_txwi() and mt7921_skb_add_usb_sdio_hdr(), both of which blindly assume that adequate headroom will be available in the passed skb. This assumption typically is satisfied when the skb was allocated in the net core for transmission via the mt7921 netdev (although even that is only an optimization and is not strictly guaranteed), but the assumption is sometimes not satisfied when the skb originated in the receive path of another netdev and was passed through to the mt7921, such as by the bridge layer. Blindly prepending bytes to an skb is always wrong. This commit introduces a call to skb_cow_head() before the call to mt7921_usb_sdio_write_txwi() in mt7921_usb_sdio_tx_prepare_skb() to ensure that at least MT_SDIO_TXD_SIZE + MT_SDIO_HDR_SIZE bytes can be pushed onto the skb. Without this fix, I can trivially cause kernel panics by bridging an MT7921AU-based USB 802.11ax interface with an Ethernet interface on an Intel Atom-based x86 system using its onboard RTL8169 PCI Ethernet adapter and also on an ARM-based Raspberry Pi 1 using its onboard SMSC9512 USB Ethernet adapter. Note that the panics do not occur in every system configuration, as they occur only if the receiving netdev leaves less headroom in its received skbs than the mt7921 needs for its SDIO headers. Here is an example stack trace of this panic on Raspberry Pi OS Lite 2023-02-21 running kernel 6.1.24+ [1]: skb_panic from skb_push+0x44/0x48 skb_push from mt7921_usb_sdio_tx_prepare_skb+0xd4/0x190 [mt7921_common] mt7921_usb_sdio_tx_prepare_skb [mt7921_common] from mt76u_tx_queue_skb+0x94/0x1d0 [mt76_usb] mt76u_tx_queue_skb [mt76_usb] from __mt76_tx_queue_skb+0x4c/0xc8 [mt76] __mt76_tx_queue_skb [mt76] from mt76_txq_schedule.part.0+0x13c/0x398 [mt76] mt76_txq_schedule.part.0 [mt76] from mt76_txq_schedule_all+0x24/0x30 [mt76] mt76_txq_schedule_all [mt76] from mt7921_tx_worker+0x58/0xf4 [mt7921_common] mt7921_tx_worker [mt7921_common] from __mt76_worker_fn+0x9c/0xec [mt76] __mt76_worker_fn [mt76] from kthread+0xbc/0xe0 kthread from ret_from_fork+0x14/0x34 After this fix, bridging the mt7921 interface works fine on both of my previously problematic systems. [1] https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/5c276f55a4b21345cd4d6200a504ee991851ff7a

Distribution advisory

This page covers CVE-2023-53785 as tracked by Ubuntu, for the package linux. No fixed version has been recorded for this distribution yet.

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

UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53785 is recorded against 126 packages.

  • linux
  • linux-allwinner-5.19
  • linux-aws
  • linux-aws-5.0
  • linux-aws-5.11
  • linux-aws-5.13
  • linux-aws-5.15
  • linux-aws-5.19
  • linux-aws-5.3
  • linux-aws-5.4
  • linux-aws-5.8
  • linux-aws-6.2
  • linux-aws-6.5
  • linux-aws-fips
  • linux-aws-hwe
  • linux-azure
  • linux-azure-4.15
  • linux-azure-5.11
  • linux-azure-5.13
  • linux-azure-5.15
  • linux-azure-5.19
  • linux-azure-5.3
  • linux-azure-5.4
  • linux-azure-5.8
Show the remaining 102 packages
  • linux-azure-6.11
  • linux-azure-6.2
  • linux-azure-6.5
  • linux-azure-edge
  • linux-azure-fde
  • linux-azure-fde-5.15
  • linux-azure-fde-5.19
  • linux-azure-fde-6.2
  • linux-azure-fde-6.8
  • linux-azure-fips
  • linux-bluefield
  • linux-fips
  • linux-gcp
  • linux-gcp-4.15
  • linux-gcp-5.11
  • linux-gcp-5.13
  • linux-gcp-5.15
  • linux-gcp-5.19
  • linux-gcp-5.3
  • linux-gcp-5.4
  • linux-gcp-5.8
  • linux-gcp-6.11
  • linux-gcp-6.2
  • linux-gcp-6.5
  • linux-gcp-fips
  • linux-gke
  • linux-gke-4.15
  • linux-gke-5.15
  • linux-gke-5.4
  • linux-gkeop
  • linux-gkeop-5.15
  • linux-gkeop-5.4
  • linux-hwe
  • linux-hwe-5.11
  • linux-hwe-5.13
  • linux-hwe-5.15
  • linux-hwe-5.19
  • linux-hwe-5.4
  • linux-hwe-5.8
  • linux-hwe-6.11
  • linux-hwe-6.2
  • linux-hwe-6.5
  • linux-hwe-edge
  • linux-ibm
  • linux-ibm-5.15
  • linux-ibm-5.4
  • linux-intel-5.13
  • linux-intel-iot-realtime
  • linux-intel-iotg
  • linux-intel-iotg-5.15
  • linux-iot
  • linux-kvm
  • linux-lowlatency
  • linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15
  • linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19
  • linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11
  • linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2
  • linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5
  • linux-lts-xenial
  • linux-nvidia
  • linux-nvidia-6.11
  • linux-nvidia-6.2
  • linux-nvidia-6.5
  • linux-nvidia-tegra
  • linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15
  • linux-nvidia-tegra-igx
  • linux-oem
  • linux-oem-5.10
  • linux-oem-5.13
  • linux-oem-5.14
  • linux-oem-5.17
  • linux-oem-5.6
  • linux-oem-6.0
  • linux-oem-6.1
  • linux-oem-6.11
  • linux-oem-6.5
  • linux-oem-6.8
  • linux-oracle
  • linux-oracle-5.0
  • linux-oracle-5.11
  • linux-oracle-5.13
  • linux-oracle-5.15
  • linux-oracle-5.3
  • linux-oracle-5.4
  • linux-oracle-5.8
  • linux-oracle-6.5
  • linux-raspi
  • linux-raspi-5.4
  • linux-raspi-realtime
  • linux-raspi2
  • linux-realtime
  • linux-riscv
  • linux-riscv-5.11
  • linux-riscv-5.15
  • linux-riscv-5.19
  • linux-riscv-5.8
  • linux-riscv-6.14
  • linux-riscv-6.5
  • linux-starfive-5.19
  • linux-starfive-6.2
  • linux-starfive-6.5
  • linux-xilinx-zynqmp

Timeline and source

Published on 9 December 2025 and last revised on 19 August 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. Record sourced from OSV.

References

ubuntu.com (Report)
www.cve.org (Report)
git.kernel.org (Report)
git.kernel.org (Report)
git.kernel.org (Report)
git.kernel.org (Report)

Other advisories for this package

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

CVE-2023-53785 on other distributions

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

Details

Severity Unknown
CVSS Score N/A
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 OSV
Published 2025-12-09
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2026-08-19
Fix URL N/A

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
linux — —
linux-allwinner-5.19 — —
linux-aws — —
linux-aws-5.0 — —
linux-aws-5.11 — —
linux-aws-5.13 — —
linux-aws-5.15 — —
linux-aws-5.19 — —
linux-aws-5.3 — —
linux-aws-5.4 — —
linux-aws-5.8 — —
linux-aws-6.2 — —
linux-aws-6.5 — —
linux-aws-fips — —
linux-aws-hwe — —
linux-azure — —
linux-azure-4.15 — —
linux-azure-5.11 — —
linux-azure-5.13 — —
linux-azure-5.15 — —
linux-azure-5.19 — —
linux-azure-5.3 — —
linux-azure-5.4 — —
linux-azure-5.8 — —
linux-azure-6.11 — —
linux-azure-6.2 — —
linux-azure-6.5 — —
linux-azure-edge — —
linux-azure-fde — —
linux-azure-fde-5.15 — —
linux-azure-fde-5.19 — —
linux-azure-fde-6.2 — —
linux-azure-fde-6.8 — —
linux-azure-fips — —
linux-bluefield — —
linux-fips — —
linux-gcp — —
linux-gcp-4.15 — —
linux-gcp-5.11 — —
linux-gcp-5.13 — —
linux-gcp-5.15 — —
linux-gcp-5.19 — —
linux-gcp-5.3 — —
linux-gcp-5.4 — —
linux-gcp-5.8 — —
linux-gcp-6.11 — —
linux-gcp-6.2 — —
linux-gcp-6.5 — —
linux-gcp-fips — —
linux-gke — —
linux-gke-4.15 — —
linux-gke-5.15 — —
linux-gke-5.4 — —
linux-gkeop — —
linux-gkeop-5.15 — —
linux-gkeop-5.4 — —
linux-hwe — —
linux-hwe-5.11 — —
linux-hwe-5.13 — —
linux-hwe-5.15 — —
linux-hwe-5.19 — —
linux-hwe-5.4 — —
linux-hwe-5.8 — —
linux-hwe-6.11 — —
linux-hwe-6.2 — —
linux-hwe-6.5 — —
linux-hwe-edge — —
linux-ibm — —
linux-ibm-5.15 — —
linux-ibm-5.4 — —
linux-intel-5.13 — —
linux-intel-iot-realtime — —
linux-intel-iotg — —
linux-intel-iotg-5.15 — —
linux-iot — —
linux-kvm — —
linux-lowlatency — —
linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15 — —
linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 — —
linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11 — —
linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2 — —
linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5 — —
linux-lts-xenial — —
linux-nvidia — —
linux-nvidia-6.11 — —
linux-nvidia-6.2 — —
linux-nvidia-6.5 — —
linux-nvidia-tegra — —
linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15 — —
linux-nvidia-tegra-igx — —
linux-oem — —
linux-oem-5.10 — —
linux-oem-5.13 — —
linux-oem-5.14 — —
linux-oem-5.17 — —
linux-oem-5.6 — —
linux-oem-6.0 — —
linux-oem-6.1 — —
linux-oem-6.11 — —
linux-oem-6.5 — —
linux-oem-6.8 — —
linux-oracle — —
linux-oracle-5.0 — —
linux-oracle-5.11 — —
linux-oracle-5.13 — —
linux-oracle-5.15 — —
linux-oracle-5.3 — —
linux-oracle-5.4 — —
linux-oracle-5.8 — —
linux-oracle-6.5 — —
linux-raspi — —
linux-raspi-5.4 — —
linux-raspi-realtime — —
linux-raspi2 — —
linux-realtime — —
linux-riscv — —
linux-riscv-5.11 — —
linux-riscv-5.15 — —
linux-riscv-5.19 — —
linux-riscv-5.8 — —
linux-riscv-6.14 — —
linux-riscv-6.5 — —
linux-starfive-5.19 — —
linux-starfive-6.2 — —
linux-starfive-6.5 — —
linux-xilinx-zynqmp — —

Similar Threats

Site Security Check

Is linux part of your stack?

UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53785 is rated CVSS 8.8 High. BotEraser scans your installation against known CVE records and tells you whether this vulnerability applies to the versions you actually run.

Scan My Site Free →

No credit card required  ·  Results in minutes

ⓘ Data Notice: The information presented above has been compiled from publicly available internet sources. Boteraser aggregates this data solely for informational purposes and does not independently classify, evaluate, or endorse any findings about the vulnerabilities listed. The accuracy and completeness of this information is the sole responsibility of the original publishers. Boteraser and its operators accept no liability for any decisions made based on this data.

Browse related advisories

All advisoriesUbuntuUbuntu 2023
✓