CVE-2023-52875

What it actually does

Missing validation of mtk_alloc_clk_data() return value in Mediatek MT2701 clock driver allows NULL pointer dereference, resulting in kernel oops or panic.

Why it matters to the business

Affected Linux-based systems, including embedded and Android devices using MT2701 clocks, may experience unexpected crashes or reboots, leading to downtime and reduced availability; widespread kernel dependency increases exposure across many deployments.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access or the ability to influence early kernel initialization triggers the MT2701 clock setup path where allocation fails; the unchecked NULL is dereferenced, causing memory corruption and system instability. No named threat actors have been observed exploiting this specific issue.

How to fix it

Update the Linux kernel to the fixed commit 6fccee2af400edaed9cf349d506c5971d4762739 or later stable releases containing this patch; rebuild and deploy updated kernels on all affected systems.

How to confirm the fix worked

Verify kernel source or binary contains the added NULL check after mtk_alloc_clk_data() call for mt2701; confirm no NULL dereference paths remain in clk-mt2701.c and test boot on MT2701 hardware.

Typical attack path

1. Gain local execution or boot-time control on target device
2. Force or wait for MT2701 clock driver initialization to invoke mtk_alloc_clk_data()
3. Trigger allocation failure to return NULL
4. Trigger dereference of the NULL pointer to induce kernel fault

How to detect it

Search kernel logs and dmesg for oops or panic entries referencing clk-mt2701 or mtk_alloc_clk_data during early boot; correlate with MT2701 device initialization failures.

• mtk_alloc_clk_data
• clk-mt2701
• NULL pointer dereference in clk-mt2701.c

What your security team should do

• Apply the referenced kernel commit immediately on all MT2701-based systems due to memory corruption risk
• Prioritize patching in Android and embedded fleets given high ecosystem prevalence of the kernel
• Monitor for related kernel oops reports and schedule regression testing after upgrade