CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2023-39198 — A race condition was found in the QXL driver in the Linux kernel

High CVSS 7.5

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.

Severity
High
CVSS
7.5 (3.1)
Published
2023-11-09
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
linux/kernel
Weaknesses
CWE-416

Affected products

  • linux / linux_kernel
  • linux / linux_kernel / 6.5
  • fedoraproject / fedora / 38
  • redhat / enterprise_linux / 8.0
  • redhat / enterprise_linux / 9.0

Showing 5 representative product identities from 10 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

Use-after-free, double free, and expired resource use

This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.

Check exposure

  • Trace ownership, references, callbacks, asynchronous tasks, and teardown paths around the affected object or resource.
  • Identify reachable inputs and timing or state transitions that can release the object while references remain.
  • Confirm affected builds, allocators, feature flags, architectures, and process privileges.

Remediate safely

  • Apply the maintained ownership or lifetime fix and rebuild all artifacts containing the affected native code.
  • Use explicit ownership, safe reference management, cancellation and join semantics, and idempotent teardown.
  • Add deterministic lifetime tests plus isolated sanitizer and concurrency coverage for shutdown and error paths.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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