// For flags

CVE-2023-52993

x86/i8259: Mark legacy PIC interrupts with IRQ_LEVEL

Severity Score

5.5
*CVSS v3

Exploit Likelihood

*EPSS

Affected Versions

*CPE

Public Exploits

0
*Multiple Sources

Exploited in Wild

-
*KEV

Decision

-
*SSVC
Descriptions

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.

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.

*Credits: N/A
CVSS Scores
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Medium
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Complete
* Common Vulnerability Scoring System
SSVC
  • Decision:-
Exploitation
-
Automatable
-
Tech. Impact
-
* Organization's Worst-case Scenario
Timeline
  • 2025-03-27 CVE Reserved
  • 2025-03-27 CVE Published
  • 2025-03-27 CVE Updated
  • 2025-03-30 EPSS Updated
  • ---------- Exploited in Wild
  • ---------- KEV Due Date
  • ---------- First Exploit
CWE
CAPEC
Affected Vendors, Products, and Versions
Vendor Product Version Other Status
Vendor Product Version Other Status <-- --> Vendor Product Version Other Status
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 2.6.18 < 4.14.305
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 2.6.18 < 4.14.305"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 2.6.18 < 4.19.272
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 2.6.18 < 4.19.272"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 2.6.18 < 5.4.231
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 2.6.18 < 5.4.231"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 2.6.18 < 5.10.166
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 2.6.18 < 5.10.166"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 2.6.18 < 5.15.91
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 2.6.18 < 5.15.91"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 2.6.18 < 6.1.9
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 2.6.18 < 6.1.9"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 2.6.18 < 6.2
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 2.6.18 < 6.2"
en
Affected