# CVE-2023-53169: linux: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/resctrl: Clear staged_config[] before and af...
CVE-2023-53169 is fixed in 20 products on 1 platform, first by ALAS2023-2023-148, released March 30, 2023. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: Routine.
- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-53169
- Priority: Routine
- CVSS: 5.5 (medium)
- EPSS: 0.0016
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Mar 30, 2023
## Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/resctrl: Clear staged_config[] before and after it is used As a temporary storage, staged_config[] in rdt_domain should be cleared before and after it is used. The stale value in staged_config[] could cause an MSR access error. Here is a reproducer on a system with 16 usable CLOSIDs for a 15-way L3 Cache (MBA should be disabled if the number of CLOSIDs for MB is less than 16.) : mount -t resctrl resctrl -o cdp /sys/fs/resctrl mkdir /sys/fs/resctrl/p{1..7} umount /sys/fs/resctrl/ mount -t resctrl resctrl /sys/fs/resctrl mkdir /sys/fs/resctrl/p{1..8} An error occurs when creating resource group named p8: unchecked MSR access error: WRMSR to 0xca0 (tried to write 0x00000000000007ff) at rIP: 0xffffffff82249142 (cat_wrmsr+0x32/0x60) Call Trace: __flush_smp_call_function_queue+0x11d/0x170 __sysvec_call_function+0x24/0xd0 sysvec_call_function+0x89/0xc0 asm_sysvec_call_function+0x16/0x20 When creating a new resource control group, hardware will be configured by the following process: rdtgroup_mkdir() rdtgroup_mkdir_ctrl_mon() rdtgroup_init_alloc() resctrl_arch_update_domains() resctrl_arch_update_domains() iterates and updates all resctrl_conf_type whose have_new_ctrl is true. Since staged_config[] holds the same values as when CDP was enabled, it will continue to update the CDP_CODE and CDP_DATA configurations. When group p8 is created, get_config_index() called in resctrl_arch_update_domains() will return 16 and 17 as the CLOSIDs for CDP_CODE and CDP_DATA, which will be translated to an invalid register - 0xca0 in this scenario. Fix it by clearing staged_config[] before and after it is used. [reinette: re-order commit tags]
## Where it's fixed
| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | bpftool amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | bpftool-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64 amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-devel amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-headers amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-libbpf amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-libbpf-devel amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-libbpf-static amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-livepatch-6.1.21-1.45 amzn 2023 | 1.0-0.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-tools amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-tools-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-tools-devel amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | linux Debian 12.15 (bookworm) | 6.1.25-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53169](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2023-53169.md) | Sep 15, 2025 |
| Linux | linux Debian 13.5 (trixie) | 6.1.25-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53169](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2023-53169.md) | Sep 15, 2025 |
| Linux | linux Debian 14 | 6.1.25-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53169](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2023-53169.md) | Sep 15, 2025 |
| Linux | perf amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | perf-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | python3-perf amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | python3-perf-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
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