CVE-2024-53223

What it actually does

Incorrect probe ordering of base 'xtal' clock on RT2880/RT305x/RT3883 SoCs delays fixed/factor/peripheral clock registration, triggering a WARN_ON in rt3883_bus_recalc_rate during of_clk_init and leaving the clock plan incomplete at early boot.

Why it matters to the business

Embedded devices using the oldest Ralink SoCs may experience boot-time warnings, delayed or unstable peripheral clocks, and potential failure to reach a fully functional state; the large number of downstream Linux kernel consumers increases the scope of required updates.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with the ability to trigger early kernel initialization on an affected device (for example via crafted device tree or hardware configuration) can cause the clock driver to hit the warning path, but no remote code execution or privilege escalation is possible; the listed threat actors have not been observed targeting this specific ordering flaw.

How to fix it

Update the Linux kernel to commit fbb13732c6ffa9d58cedafabcd5ce8fd7ef8ae5a or later; rebuild and deploy the kernel image on all RT2880/RT305x/RT3883-based systems; no configuration workaround exists.

How to confirm the fix worked

Boot an affected device with the patched kernel and confirm absence of the rt3883_bus_recalc_rate warning in dmesg; verify that all fixed, factor, and peripheral clocks register without delay.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local or physical access to an RT3883-based device running an unpatched kernel
2. Ensure the device tree or boot sequence does not force 'xtal' to be registered first
3. Trigger kernel boot so that of_clk_init calls rt2880_clk_of_clk_init_driver before 'xtal' is available
4. Observe the rt3883_bus_recalc_rate warning and incomplete clock tree

How to detect it

Search kernel boot logs for the exact warning string 'rt3883_bus_recalc_rate' and the call trace involving of_clk_hw_register and rt2880_clk_of_clk_init_driver; check for devices reporting RT3883 SoC in /proc/cpuinfo or device tree.

• rt3883_bus_recalc_rate+0x98/0x138
• WARNING: CPU:.*PID:.*at drivers/clk/ralink/clk-mtmips.c:499

What your security team should do

• Prioritize kernel update on any RT3883/RT305x/RT2880 hardware within the next maintenance window
• Add the fixed commit hash to internal kernel build pipelines and CI tests
• Monitor dmesg on affected devices for the specific WARN string until patches are applied