CVE-2023-52993: x86/i8259: Mark legacy PIC interrupts with IRQ_LEVEL
First published: Thu Mar 27 2025(Updated: )
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/i8259: Mark legacy PIC interrupts with IRQ_LEVEL Baoquan reported that after triggering a crash the subsequent crash-kernel fails to boot about half of the time. It triggers a NULL pointer dereference in the periodic tick code. This happens because the legacy timer interrupt (IRQ0) is resent in software which happens in soft interrupt (tasklet) context. In this context get_irq_regs() returns NULL which leads to the NULL pointer dereference. The reason for the resend is a spurious APIC interrupt on the IRQ0 vector which is captured and leads to a resend when the legacy timer interrupt is enabled. This is wrong because the legacy PIC interrupts are level triggered and therefore should never be resent in software, but nothing ever sets the IRQ_LEVEL flag on those interrupts, so the core code does not know about their trigger type. Ensure that IRQ_LEVEL is set when the legacy PCI interrupts are set up.
Credit: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
| Affected Software | Affected Version | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Kernel | ||
| Linux Kernel | >=2.6.18<4.14.305 | |
| Linux Kernel | >=4.15<4.19.272 | |
| Linux Kernel | >=4.20<5.4.231 | |
| Linux Kernel | >=5.5<5.10.166 | |
| Linux Kernel | >=5.11<5.15.91 | |
| Linux Kernel | >=5.16<6.1.9 | |
| Linux Kernel | =6.2-rc1 | |
| Linux Kernel | =6.2-rc2 | |
| Linux Kernel | =6.2-rc3 | |
| Linux Kernel | =6.2-rc4 | |
| Linux Kernel | =6.2-rc5 |
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Reference Links
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/744fe9be9665227335539b7a77ece8d9ff62b6c0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/496975d1a2937f4baadf3d985991b13fc4fc4f27
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8770cd9d7c14aa99c255a0d08186f0be953e1638
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e284c273dbb4c1ed68d4204bff94d0b10e4a90f5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0b08201158f177aab469e356b4d6af24fdd118df
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/137f1b47da5f58805da42c1b7811e28c1e353f39
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5fa55950729d0762a787451dc52862c3f850f859
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2023-52993?
CVE-2023-52993 has been classified as a moderate severity vulnerability.
How do I fix CVE-2023-52993?
To resolve CVE-2023-52993, update the Linux kernel to the latest stable version where the vulnerability has been patched.
What are the potential impacts of CVE-2023-52993?
CVE-2023-52993 can lead to a system crash or failure to boot after a crash kernel scenario.
Which versions of the Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2023-52993?
The vulnerability affects multiple versions of the Linux kernel, specifically those prior to the fixes implemented in recent updates.
Who reported CVE-2023-52993?
CVE-2023-52993 was reported by a researcher named Baoquan.
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