External risk intelligence

Linux Kernel RDMA Data Race Vulnerability

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8)

CVE-2023-54292

This vulnerability is a data race within the Linux kernel RDMA/irdma driver. It occurs during internal driver event handling and resource management. It is not an internet-facing service or a network-reachable application, but rather a low-level internal kernel component where exposure is limited to local system operations.

Halo Surface Signal: 1 out of 5 — much less likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

A data race was discovered in the Linux kernel's RDMA/irdma driver, which manages remote direct memory access operations. This issue could potentially lead to system instability or unexpected behavior if triggered. The main concern is confirming if this specific component is relevant and exposed within your environment.

Internal data handling issue.
Matters for system stability and operations.
Confirm relevance and exposure.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker could potentially trigger this vulnerability by performing specific operations on the system that involve the RDMA/irdma driver, leading to a data race condition. This internal race condition, when encountered, could disrupt normal operations of the driver.

Requires local system access.
Triggered by specific driver operations.
Risk of data corruption or system instability.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

A data race in the Linux kernel's RDMA/irdma driver could lead to system instability when specific operations involving remote direct memory access (RDMA) CQP requests are handled. This occurs due to a lack of proper locking when accessing shared memory locations during concurrent asynchronous event processing and request handling.

Kernel driver data race.
Unlocked memory access during concurrent operations.
Potential for system instability or crashes.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

This vulnerability resides within the Linux kernel's RDMA/irdma driver, affecting internal data handling during event processing. Responsibility for addressing this lies with the teams managing the Linux kernel infrastructure and any teams that have directly implemented or configured RDMA/irdma functionality. The first practical step is to identify all systems utilizing this driver, determine their criticality and network exposure, and then engage the appropriate kernel or platform engineering teams to plan for remediation.

Kernel and platform teams own resolution.
Verify impacted systems and their criticality.
Plan kernel updates or driver mitigation.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the irdma driver mentioned in CVE-2023-54292?

The irdma driver is a component of the Linux kernel used to manage Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) operations. RDMA allows high-speed, low-latency data transfer directly between the memory of two computers without involving either system's operating system, which is commonly used in high-performance computing and data center networking environments.

What is a data race in the context of this CVE?

A data race is a programming flaw that occurs when two or more processes try to access and modify the same memory location at the same time without proper coordination. In CVE-2023-54292, the flaw exists because the driver accesses memory during RDMA operations without sufficient locking, which can cause the kernel to behave unpredictably or become unstable.

How is this data race triggered?

The vulnerability is triggered by specific, concurrent operations within the kernel's RDMA/irdma driver. It requires local system activity related to RDMA request handling and event processing. It is not triggered by standard network traffic or remote user actions, as the issue resides in the low-level logic governing how the driver manages internal resources during asynchronous tasks.

Is my system exposed to CVE-2023-54292?

According to Halo Surface Signal, this vulnerability is very unlikely to pose an external risk. Because it is a low-level internal kernel component, it is not an internet-facing service. Exposure is restricted to local system operations where the irdma driver is actively managing RDMA resources, making it a concern for system stability rather than remote network exploitation.

What should I do to address this issue?

The first step is to identify which of your Linux systems are utilizing the irdma driver and assess their operational importance. Since this is a kernel-level driver issue, you should coordinate with your platform or kernel engineering teams to evaluate the stability impact and plan for necessary kernel updates or patches provided by your Linux distribution maintainers.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.