CVE-2023-53524 — linux / linux_kernel
Integer Overflow or WraparoundIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
wifi: iwlwifi: pcie: Fix integer overflow in iwl_write_to_user_buf
An integer overflow occurs in the iwl_write_to_user_buf() function, which is called by the iwl_dbgfs_monitor_data_read() function.
static bool iwl_write_to_user_buf(char __user *user_buf, ssize_t count, void *buf, ssize_t *size, ssize_t *bytes_copied) { int buf_size_left = count - *bytes_copied;
buf_size_left = buf_size_left - (buf_size_left % sizeof(u32));
if (*size > buf_size_left)
*size = buf_size_left;
If the user passes a SIZE_MAX value to the "ssize_t count" parameter, the ssize_t count parameter is assigned to "int buf_size_left". Then compare "*size" with "buf_size_left" . Here, "buf_size_left" is a negative number, so "*size" is assigned "buf_size_left" and goes into the third argument of the copy_to_user function, causing a heap overflow.
This is not a security vulnerability because iwl_dbgfs_monitor_data_read() is a debugfs operation with 0400 privileges.
| Software | From | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| linux / linux_kernel | 5.0 | 5.4.244 |
| linux / linux_kernel | 5.5 | 5.10.181 |
| linux / linux_kernel | 5.11 | 5.15.113 |
| linux / linux_kernel | 5.16 | 6.1.30 |
| linux / linux_kernel | 6.2 | 6.3.4 |
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/059e426d666a41e26b184c177c1ca3ee2d6fa1b6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0ad8dd870aa187d0c21d032bb2c6433559075eec
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/58d1b717879bfeabe09b35e41ad667c79933eb2e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/82f877ec9b041edc4c7c509c605cc3393d837bf0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/de78456976026102babe66258c228691ca5677c0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eb1ef44efac797b384d361a76e33f77027c29a14
Deep Security Visibility Without the Complexity
SynScan provides clear, real-time security insights so you can monitor your attack surface, spot risks early, and act fast—without extra complexity.
- No setup fees
- 5-min deployment
- Cancel anytime
Frequently Asked Questions
A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.
CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.
A vulnerability is the underlying weakness. An exploit is the method or code used to take advantage of it. A zero-day is a vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor or has no publicly available fix when attackers begin using it. In practice, risk increases sharply when exploitation becomes reliable or widespread.
Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.
Use a simple, repeatable triage model: focus first on externally exposed assets, high-value systems (identity, VPN, email, production), vulnerabilities with known exploits, and issues that enable remote code execution or privilege escalation. Then enforce patch SLAs and track progress using consistent metrics so remediation is steady, not reactive.
SynScan combines attack surface monitoring and continuous security auditing to keep your inventory current, flag high-impact vulnerabilities early, and help you turn raw findings into a practical remediation plan.