Linux Kernel up to 6.2.2 iommufd hwpt_list privilege escalation

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.2.2. Affected by this issue is the function hwpt_list of the component iommufd. This manipulation causes an unknown weakness. This vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2023-54043. No exploit exists. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.2.2. Affected by this vulnerability is the function hwpt_list of the component iommufd. The impact remains unknown. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iommufd: Do not add the same hwpt to the ioas->hwpt_list twice The hwpt is added to the hwpt_list only during its creation, it is never added again. This hunk is some missed leftover from rework. Adding it twice will corrupt the linked list in some cases. It effects HWPT specific attachment, which is something the test suite cannot cover until we can create a legitimate struct device with a non-system iommu "driver" (ie we need the bus removed from the iommu code)

It is possible to read the advisory at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2023-54043 since 12/24/2025. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit. The pricing for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 12/30/2025).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 279869 (Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2023-54043), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.2.3 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch c44adefdcf472f946f0632f4e0ddcbf3e00b8516/b4ff830eca097df51af10a9be29e8cc817327919 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at Tenable (279869) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2929). Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.

Affected

• Open Source Linux Kernel

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.2.0
• 6.2.1
• 6.2.2

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

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