CVE-2023-53200

/// Technical description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netfilter: x_tables: fix percpu counter block leak on error path when creating new netns

Here is the stack where we allocate percpu counter block:

+-< __alloc_percpu

+-< xt_percpu_counter_alloc

+-< find_check_entry # {arp,ip,ip6}_tables.c

+-< translate_table

And it can be leaked on this code path:

+-> ip6t_register_table

+-> translate_table # allocates percpu counter block

+-> xt_register_table # fails

there is no freeing of the counter block on xt_register_table fail.

Note: xt_percpu_counter_free should be called to free it like we do in

do_replace through cleanup_entry helper (or in __ip6t_unregister_table).

Probability of hitting this error path is low AFAICS (xt_register_table

can only return ENOMEM here, as it is not replacing anything, as we are

creating new netns, and it is hard to imagine that all previous

allocations succeeded and after that one in xt_register_table failed)

/// Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

/// References