CVE-2023-52871 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 05/21/2024
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
soc: qcom: llcc: Handle a second device without data corruption
Usually there is only one llcc device. But if there were a second, even a failed probe call would modify the global drv_data pointer. So check if drv_data is valid before overwriting it.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-52871 resides within the Linux kernel's Qualcomm Low Latency Cache Controller (LLCC) subsystem, specifically affecting the soc/qcom/llcc driver component. This issue manifests when the system attempts to handle multiple LLCC devices, a scenario that typically does not occur in standard deployments where only a single LLCC device exists. The vulnerability represents a critical flaw in device probe handling logic that can lead to data corruption and system instability when multiple devices are present or when probe operations fail.
The technical flaw stems from improper handling of the global drv_data pointer within the LLCC driver's probe function. When a second LLCC device is detected or when a probe operation fails, the driver code attempts to overwrite the drv_data pointer without first validating whether it contains valid data. This behavior violates fundamental principles of memory management and device driver safety protocols. The flaw creates a race condition scenario where the driver's internal state becomes corrupted, potentially leading to unpredictable behavior and system crashes. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of array indices, and CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read conditions that can occur when handling multiple device instances.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple device enumeration failures. When multiple LLCC devices are present or when probe operations fail, the corruption of the global drv_data pointer can result in memory corruption that affects the entire system's memory management subsystem. This can lead to kernel panics, system crashes, or more subtle data integrity issues that may persist undetected until they manifest in critical system operations. The vulnerability particularly impacts systems utilizing Qualcomm SoC platforms where LLCC devices are present, potentially affecting mobile devices, embedded systems, and server platforms that rely on Qualcomm's memory controller implementations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-52871 involve implementing proper validation checks before modifying global driver state variables and ensuring that device probe operations maintain proper state management even in failure scenarios. System administrators should apply the latest kernel updates that contain the patched driver code, which implements proper null checking before overwriting the drv_data pointer. The fix requires modifications to the probe function to verify that drv_data contains valid data before attempting to modify it, thereby preventing the corruption that occurs during second device handling or failed probe operations. Additionally, system monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous device probe behavior that might indicate this vulnerability's exploitation. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through kernel exploits, and T1547, covering kernel module loading techniques that could be leveraged to exploit the memory corruption aspect of this flaw.