CVE-2024-53058 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel's stmmac network driver, specifically related to the handling of TCP Segmentation Offload (TSO) for non-paged socket buffer (SKB) data. The issue arises from an incorrect DMA (Direct Memory Access) map/unmap sequence when transmitting large SKB data that requires multiple DMA transmit descriptors. On certain hardware platforms with specific DMA AXI address width configurations (40-bit/48-bit or 32-bit with large buffer sizes), a single SKB non-paged data buffer is split across multiple DMA descriptors. The driver is expected to set the DMA buffer address only on the last descriptor's tx_skbuff_dma[].buf entry and set the others to NULL. However, due to a coding error, the first descriptor's buf is set with the DMA address while the subsequent descriptors are set to NULL. During transmission cleanup (stmmac_tx_clean()), the DMA buffer is unmapped prematurely when the first descriptor completes, even though the other descriptors may still be in use by the DMA engine. This leads to a use-after-unmap condition where the DMA engine accesses unmapped memory, causing data corruption or IOMMU faults. The vulnerability is subtle and hardware/platform dependent but can cause network data corruption or system instability. The patch corrects the DMA mapping by assigning the DMA buffer address to the correct descriptor index, ensuring proper synchronization between DMA mapping and unmapping. This flaw was verified on the DWXGMAC CORE 3.20a hardware and affects Linux kernel versions identified by the given commit hashes. No known exploits are reported in the wild yet, and no CVSS score has been assigned.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to systems running affected Linux kernel versions with the stmmac driver enabled, especially on hardware platforms using the DWXGMAC or similar Ethernet MAC cores with the described DMA configurations. The impact includes potential network data corruption, leading to degraded network reliability, packet loss, or transmission errors. In critical infrastructure or industrial control systems relying on Linux-based embedded devices or network appliances, this could disrupt operations or cause intermittent failures. Additionally, the use-after-unmap condition could trigger IOMMU faults, potentially leading to kernel crashes or denial of service. While this vulnerability does not directly enable remote code execution or privilege escalation, the resulting instability and data corruption can affect availability and integrity of network communications. European organizations with embedded Linux devices in telecommunications, manufacturing, or network infrastructure are particularly at risk. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate threat but patching is important to prevent future exploitation and maintain system stability.

1. Apply the official Linux kernel patch that corrects the DMA map/unmap sequence in the stmmac driver as soon as it becomes available in your distribution or kernel vendor updates. 2. For embedded or custom Linux systems, rebuild and deploy updated kernels incorporating the fix. 3. Identify and inventory devices using the stmmac driver and verify their kernel versions and hardware platforms against the affected list. 4. Where possible, temporarily disable TSO offloading on affected network interfaces to reduce exposure until patched, using ethtool commands (e.g., 'ethtool -K <interface> tso off'). 5. Monitor system logs for IOMMU faults or network transmission errors that could indicate exploitation or manifestation of this bug. 6. Coordinate with hardware vendors to confirm platform-specific mitigations or firmware updates if applicable. 7. Implement network segmentation and redundancy to minimize impact of potential network disruptions caused by this vulnerability. 8. Maintain rigorous patch management and testing procedures to ensure timely deployment of kernel updates across all Linux systems.