CVE-2023-3610: Use-after-free in Linux kernel's netfilter: nf_tables component

Published Jul 21, 2023
·
Updated

A flaw in the Linux Kernel found. A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's netfilter: nftables component can be exploited to achieve local privilege escalation. Flaw in the error handling of bound chains causes a use-after-free in the abort path of NFTMSGNEWRULE. The vulnerability requires CAPNETADMIN to be triggered.

Reference: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit?id=4bedf9eee016286c835e3d8fa981ddece5338795

Other sources

A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's netfilter: nftables component can be exploited to achieve local privilege escalation.

Flaw in the error handling of bound chains causes a use-after-free in the abort path of NFTMSGNEWRULE. The vulnerability requires CAPNETADMIN to be triggered.

We recommend upgrading past commit 4bedf9eee016286c835e3d8fa981ddece5338795.

A use-after-free vulnerability was found in the netfilter: nftables component in the Linux kernel due to a missing error handling in the abort path of NFTMSGNEWRULE. This flaw allows a local attacker with CAPNETADMIN access capability to cause a local privilege escalation problem.

Affected Software

18 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/kernel<0:5.14.0-284.30.1.el9_2
0:5.14.0-284.30.1.el9_2
redhat/kernel-rt<0:5.14.0-284.30.1.rt14.315.el9_2
0:5.14.0-284.30.1.rt14.315.el9_2
redhat/Kernel<6.4
6.4
Linux Linux kernel>=5.9<5.10.188
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11<5.15.119
Linux Linux kernel>=5.16<6.1.36
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2<6.3.10
Debian Debian Linux=10.0
Debian Debian Linux=11.0
Linux Linux kernel>=5.9<6.4
Linux Linux kernel=6.4-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=6.4-rc2
Linux Linux kernel=6.4-rc3
Linux Linux kernel=6.4-rc4
Linux Linux kernel=6.4-rc5
Linux Linux kernel=6.4-rc6
Linux Linux kernel=6.4-rc7
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.25-16.12.27-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0:5.14.0-284.30.1.el9_2
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel-rt to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0:5.14.0-284.30.1.rt14.315.el9_2
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 5.10.223-1Fixed in 5.10.234-1Fixed in 6.1.129-1Fixed in 6.1.135-1Fixed in 6.12.25-1Fixed in 6.12.27-1
  4. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/Kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.4
  5. Upgrade

    Upgrade Linux kernel netfilter: nf_tables (NFT_MSG_NEWRULE abort path) to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Patch 4bedf9eee016286c835e3d8fa981ddece5338795
  6. Configuration

    On non-containerized deployments of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, disable unprivileged user namespaces by setting kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone to 0 (e.g., run `sysctl -w kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone=0` and persist via `/etc/sysctl.d/99-disable-unpriv-userns.conf`).

    Linux kernel sysctl kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone = 0
  7. Configuration

    On non-containerized deployments of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, disable user namespaces by setting user.max_user_namespaces to 0 (e.g., `echo "user.max_user_namespaces=0" > /etc/sysctl.d/userns.conf` and apply with `sysctl -p /etc/sysctl.d/userns.conf`).

    Linux kernel sysctl user.max_user_namespaces = 0
  8. Compensating control

    Because the vulnerability can be triggered by a local attacker with CAP_NET_ADMIN, ensure CAP_NET_ADMIN is not granted to untrusted users/processes (and restrict the ability for unprivileged users to create user/net namespaces where applicable).

Event History

Jul 21, 2023
CVE Published
12:00 AM
CVE Published
via MITRE·08:48 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·08:48 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
09:15 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·09:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jul 24, 2023
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·02:23 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Jan 12, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·12:21 AM
Description
Apr 28, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·02:13 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2023-3610?

CVE-2023-3610 is classified as a high severity vulnerability due to its potential for local privilege escalation.

2

How do I fix CVE-2023-3610?

To fix CVE-2023-3610, upgrade to the kernel version 0:5.14.0-284.30.1.el9_2 or related patched versions available from your distribution's repository.

3

Which systems are affected by CVE-2023-3610?

CVE-2023-3610 affects various versions of the Linux kernel, particularly those between 5.9 and 6.4, including specific versions in Debian and Red Hat distributions.

4

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2023-3610?

CVE-2023-3610 is a use-after-free vulnerability located in the netfilter: nf_tables component of the Linux kernel.

5

Can CVE-2023-3610 be exploited remotely?

No, CVE-2023-3610 requires local access to the system, as it is a local privilege escalation vulnerability.

Contact

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