CVE-2023-52800 is a medium severity vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel, specifically within the ath11k wireless driver component responsible for handling Wi-Fi functionality on certain Qualcomm chipsets. The issue arises from improper synchronization in the handling of the htt pktlog (Host Target Transport packet logging) code. The ath11k driver uses Read-Copy-Update (RCU) mechanisms to protect active physical device (pdev) structures, which allows safe concurrent access in multi-threaded environments. However, the vulnerable code that calls ath11k_mac_get_ar_by_pdev_id() was not correctly marked as an RCU read-side critical section. This omission can lead to a use-after-free condition where the code accesses freed memory, potentially causing kernel crashes or instability. The patch involves marking the relevant code as an RCU read-side critical section to ensure proper synchronization and prevent use-after-free scenarios. The vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity but affects availability due to possible kernel crashes (denial of service). Exploitation requires local privileges with high-level permissions (PR:H) and no user interaction, making it a local privilege escalation or denial of service vector. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-416 (Use After Free) and has a CVSS v3.1 score of 4.4, reflecting its medium severity and limited attack surface due to the requirement for local privileged access. The affected versions correspond to specific Linux kernel commits identified by their hashes, indicating that the issue is present in recent kernel versions prior to the patch release on May 21, 2024.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2023-52800 primarily concerns systems running Linux kernels with the ath11k wireless driver enabled, which is common in devices using Qualcomm Wi-Fi chipsets. The vulnerability can lead to kernel crashes, resulting in denial of service conditions that disrupt network connectivity and potentially critical operations dependent on wireless communication. This can affect enterprise servers, workstations, and embedded devices in sectors such as telecommunications, manufacturing, healthcare, and public services. While the vulnerability does not directly expose sensitive data or allow unauthorized code execution, the resulting instability can degrade service availability and reliability. Organizations relying on Linux-based infrastructure with wireless capabilities should be aware of potential disruptions, especially in environments where uptime and network stability are critical. The requirement for local privileged access limits remote exploitation, but insider threats or compromised accounts with elevated privileges could leverage this flaw to cause service outages. Given the widespread use of Linux in European IT environments, the vulnerability poses a moderate operational risk that should be addressed promptly to maintain system resilience.

To mitigate CVE-2023-52800, European organizations should: 1) Apply the official Linux kernel patches that mark the vulnerable code sections as RCU read-side critical sections, ensuring proper synchronization and eliminating the use-after-free condition. 2) Prioritize updating Linux kernel versions on all systems using Qualcomm ath11k wireless drivers, including embedded devices and workstations. 3) Conduct an inventory of devices with Qualcomm Wi-Fi chipsets to identify potentially affected endpoints. 4) Implement strict access controls and monitoring to limit local privileged access, reducing the risk of exploitation by insiders or malware. 5) Employ kernel crash monitoring and alerting to detect and respond to any unexpected system reboots or instability that could indicate exploitation attempts. 6) For environments where immediate patching is not feasible, consider disabling the ath11k driver or wireless functionality temporarily if it does not impact critical operations. 7) Collaborate with Linux distribution vendors and device manufacturers to ensure timely deployment of patches and firmware updates. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on the specific driver and synchronization mechanism involved, emphasizing proactive patch management and access control.