CVE-2023-39198: Kernel: qxl: race condition leading to use-after-free in qxl_mode_dumb_create()

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2023-39198 is a high (CVSS 7.5) Use After Free vulnerability in fedoraproject fedora. EPSS estimates a 0.42% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 36% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 09-11-2023
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 24-03-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

A race condition was found in the QXL driver in the Linux kernel. The qxl_mode_dumb_create() function dereferences the qobj returned by the qxl_gem_object_create_with_handle(), but the handle is the only one holding a reference to it. This flaw allows an attacker to guess the returned handle value and trigger a use-after-free issue, potentially leading to a denial of service or privilege escalation.

• CWE-416Use After FreeThe product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.