Medium

DMA RX Overflow Workaround in Linux Kernel atl1c Driver

IdentifiersCVE-2023-52834CWE-119

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's atl1c Ethernet driver allowed for a DMA RX overflow issue due to problematic memory addresses being used for socket buffers (skb). The vulnerability stems from the driver not properly avoiding certain memory addresses (notably those ending in 0xfc0), which could trigger hardware bugs leading to RX overflows. The issue was previously addressed in the alx driver but not in atl1c due to lack of testing. The fix involves checking the allocated skb address and using skb_reserve() to ensure the buffer does not start at the problematic address.

For your environment

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Exploitation of this vulnerability could result in RX overflow errors, potentially leading to packet loss, denial of service, or system instability on systems using the affected atl1c driver (e.g., AR8131 on Acer 4540). There is no indication of direct privilege escalation or code execution, but network reliability and availability are impacted.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

As a temporary mitigation, avoid using the affected hardware or disable the atl1c network interface if possible until the kernel can be upgraded. There are no known configuration changes that can fully mitigate the issue without the patch.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade to a Linux kernel version that includes the patch for CVE-2023-52834, which implements the workaround by reserving space in the skb to avoid problematic DMA addresses in the atl1c driver.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType

LinuxLinux Kerneloperating_system

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

2 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

2 SOURCESView more in app

redhat accessNews

Jan 1, 2026

RHSA-2025:10701 - Security Advisory - Red Hat Customer Portal

Linux kernel atl1c network driver DMA receive overflow issue.

bugzilla redhatNews

Aug 8, 2024

2282744 - (CVE-2023-52834) CVE-2023-52834 kernel: atl1c: Work around the DMA RX overflow issue

A Linux kernel vulnerability affecting the atl1c network driver, resolved by working around a DMA receive (RX) overflow issue.

What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity