CVE-2023-53028 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel, specifically related to the mac80211 wireless networking subsystem. The issue revolves around a memory management flaw introduced by a reverted commit that attempted to fix a memory leak in the ieee80211_if_add() function. The vulnerability arises because ieee80211_if_free() is already invoked via the priv_destructor callback of the network device structure (netdev->priv_destructor), which leads to a double-free or improper memory handling scenario. This was reported by syzbot, a kernel fuzzing tool, which detected a general protection fault caused by a null pointer dereference within the percpu memory management code (mm/percpu.c). The fault occurs during the freeing of per-CPU memory chunks, triggered by operations in the wireless subsystem such as ieee80211_register_hw and mac80211_hwsim_new_radio. The kernel crash trace indicates that the flaw can lead to a kernel panic or system crash due to invalid memory access. This vulnerability affects multiple Linux kernel versions, including several commits identified by their hashes, and is present in kernel version 6.2.0-rc2 as per the report. No public exploits are known at this time, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet. The root cause is a regression introduced by reverting a previous fix, resulting in unsafe memory deallocation paths in the wireless driver stack.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to systems running Linux kernels with affected versions, especially those utilizing wireless networking features based on mac80211. The impact includes potential denial of service (DoS) through kernel crashes, which can disrupt critical services, network connectivity, and operational continuity. Systems that rely on wireless interfaces for communication, including enterprise servers, IoT devices, and embedded systems, may be affected. Although no remote code execution or privilege escalation is directly indicated, the ability to cause kernel panics can be exploited by attackers with local access or through crafted network packets if the vulnerable code path is reachable remotely. This could lead to service outages, impacting business operations, especially in sectors like telecommunications, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure that depend on Linux-based wireless networking. Additionally, the instability may complicate incident response and recovery efforts. Given the widespread use of Linux in European data centers, cloud environments, and embedded devices, the vulnerability's impact can be significant if unpatched systems are exploited.

Organizations should promptly update their Linux kernels to versions where this vulnerability is resolved. Since the issue stems from a reverted patch, applying the latest stable kernel releases or vendor-provided security updates that reintroduce the proper fix is critical. For environments where immediate kernel upgrades are not feasible, disabling or limiting the use of wireless networking features based on mac80211 can reduce exposure. System administrators should audit their network device configurations to identify affected wireless interfaces and consider isolating vulnerable systems from untrusted networks. Employing kernel live patching solutions where available can help mitigate the risk without full system reboots. Monitoring kernel logs for signs of general protection faults or crashes related to percpu memory management can aid in early detection. Additionally, organizations should ensure robust access controls to prevent unauthorized local access, as exploitation requires triggering kernel memory management routines. Coordinating with Linux distribution vendors for timely patches and validating kernel versions against known vulnerable commits is recommended.