CVE-2023-53524

In 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.

Weakness

The product performs a calculation that can produce an integer overflow or wraparound when the logic assumes that the resulting value will always be larger than the original value. This occurs when an integer value is incremented to a value that is too large to store in the associated representation. When this occurs, the value may become a very small or negative number.

Affected Software

Potential Mitigations

• Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
• If possible, choose a language or compiler that performs automatic bounds checking.
• Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid [REF-1482].
• Use libraries or frameworks that make it easier to handle numbers without unexpected consequences.
• Examples include safe integer handling packages such as SafeInt (C++) or IntegerLib (C or C++). [REF-106]
• Perform input validation on any numeric input by ensuring that it is within the expected range. Enforce that the input meets both the minimum and maximum requirements for the expected range.
• Use unsigned integers where possible. This makes it easier to perform validation for integer overflows. When signed integers are required, ensure that the range check includes minimum values as well as maximum values.
• Understand the programming language’s underlying representation and how it interacts with numeric calculation (CWE-681). Pay close attention to byte size discrepancies, precision, signed/unsigned distinctions, truncation, conversion and casting between types, “not-a-number” calculations, and how the language handles numbers that are too large or too small for its underlying representation. [REF-7]
• Also be careful to account for 32-bit, 64-bit, and other potential differences that may affect the numeric representation.

Related Attack Patterns

• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/92.html

References

• 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