# CVE-2023-52499: powerpc/47x: Fix 47x syscall return crash

> A flaw in the Linux kernel's PowerPC 47x syscall return logic causes a crash or potential code execution due to incorrect register usage during instruction cache flushes.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 2 Mar 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-52499, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-52499, GHSA-8w3f-mchr-v6jh, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-52499

## What is CVE-2023-52499?

CVE-2023-52499 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 2 Mar 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

powerpc/47x: Fix 47x syscall return crash

Eddie reported that newer kernels were crashing during boot on his 476
FSP2 system:

  kernel tried to execute user page (b7ee2000) - exploit attempt? (uid: 0)
  BUG: Unable to handle kernel instruction fetch
  Faulting instruction address: 0xb7ee2000
  Oops: Kernel access of bad area, sig: 11 [#1]
  BE PAGE_SIZE=4K FSP-2
  Modules linked in:
  CPU: 0 PID: 61 Comm: mount Not tainted 6.1.55-d23900f.ppcnf-fsp2 #1
  Hardware name: ibm,fsp2 476fpe 0x7ff520c0 FSP-2
  NIP:  b7ee2000 LR: 8c008000 CTR: 00000000
  REGS: bffebd83 TRAP: 0400   Not tainted (6.1.55-d23900f.ppcnf-fs p2)
  MSR:  00000030 <IR,DR>  CR: 00001000  XER: 20000000
  GPR00: c00110ac bffebe63 bffebe7e bffebe88 8c008000 00001000 00000d12 b7ee2000
  GPR08: 00000033 00000000 00000000 c139df10 48224824 1016c314 10160000 00000000
  GPR16: 10160000 10160000 00000008 00000000 10160000 00000000 10160000 1017f5b0
  GPR24: 1017fa50 1017f4f0 1017fa50 1017f740 1017f630 00000000 00000000 1017f4f0
  NIP [b7ee2000] 0xb7ee2000
  LR [8c008000] 0x8c008000
  Call Trace:
  Instruction dump:
  XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX
  XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX
  ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---

The problem is in ret_from_syscall where the check for
icache_44x_need_flush is done. When the flush is needed the code jumps
out-of-line to do the flush, and then intends to jump back to continue
the syscall return.

However the branch back to label 1b doesn't return to the correct
location, instead branching back just prior to the return to userspace,
causing bogus register values to be used by the rfi.

The breakage was introduced by commit 6f76a01173cc
("powerpc/syscall: implement system call entry/exit logic in C for PPC32") which
inadvertently removed the "1" label and reused it elsewhere.

Fix it by adding named local labels in the correct locations. Note that
the return label needs to be outside the ifdef so that CONFIG_PPC_47x=n
compiles.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-52499?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-52499?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-52499 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52499 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-52499 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-52499 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 2 Mar 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52499 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52499/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52499/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-52499
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-52499
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-52499

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52499/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.