CVE-2023-52987
Published: 27 March 2025
Summary
CVE-2023-52987 is a high-severity Improper Validation of Array Index (CWE-129) vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 36.8th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-10 (Information Input Validation) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).
Threat & Defense at a Glance
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
Directly addresses the root cause by requiring validation of user-supplied 'id' parameter to prevent invalid array indices causing underflow in sof_ipc4_priority_mask_dfs_write().
Ensures timely remediation of the specific kernel flaw through patching, as provided in the referenced commits to change 'id' to unsigned.
Mitigates potential memory corruption from array underflow via kernel memory protections like isolation and non-executable memory.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Local kernel array underflow (CWE-129) in a debugfs write handler allows low-privileged user input to trigger invalid memory access, directly enabling privilege escalation to kernel-level compromise with high C/I/A impact.
NVD Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ASoC: SOF: ipc4-mtrace: prevent underflow in sof_ipc4_priority_mask_dfs_write() The "id" comes from the user. Change the type to unsigned to prevent an array underflow.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2023-52987 is an array underflow vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ASoC SOF ipc4-mtrace component, specifically within the sof_ipc4_priority_mask_dfs_write() function. The issue arises because the "id" parameter, sourced from user input, is treated as a signed integer, enabling an underflow condition. This flaw, classified under CWE-129 (Improper Validation of Array Index), has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and was published on 2025-03-27.
A local attacker with low privileges can exploit this vulnerability due to its low attack complexity and lack of user interaction requirements. Successful exploitation allows high-impact consequences, including unauthorized access to sensitive data (high confidentiality), modification of system resources (high integrity), and denial of service or system disruption (high availability), potentially leading to kernel-level compromise.
Mitigation involves applying the relevant Linux kernel patches, as detailed in the commit references: d52f34784e4e2f6e77671a9f104d8a69a3b5d24c and ea57680af47587397f5005d7758022441ed66d54. These patches resolve the underflow by changing the "id" type to unsigned, preventing the invalid array access. Security practitioners should update affected kernel versions accordingly.
Details
- CWE(s)