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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2023-53419

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-09-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.10.181 / 5.15.113 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click Patch available

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: rcu: Protect rcu_print_task_exp_stall() ->exp_tasks access For kernels built with CONFIG_PREEMPT_RCU=y, the following scenario can result in a NULL-pointer dereference: CPU1 CPU2 rcu_preempt_deferred_qs_irqrestore rcu_print_task_exp_stall if (special.b.blocked) READ_ONCE(rnp->exp_tasks) != NULL raw_spin_lock_rcu_node np = rcu_next_node_entry(t, rnp) if (&t->rcu_node_entry == rnp->exp_tasks) WRITE_ONCE(rnp->exp_tasks, np) .... raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore_rcu_node raw_spin_lock_irqsave_rcu_node t = list_entry(rnp->exp_tasks->prev, struct task_struct, rcu_node_entry) (if rnp->exp_tasks is NULL, this will dereference a NULL pointer) The problem is that CPU2 accesses the rcu_node structure's->exp_tasks field without holding the rcu_node structure's ->lock and CPU2 did not observe CPU1's change to rcu_node structure's ->exp_tasks in time. Therefore, if CPU1 sets rcu_node structure's->exp_tasks pointer to NULL, then CPU2 might dereference that NULL pointer. This commit therefore holds the rcu_node structure's ->lock while accessing that structure's->exp_tasks field. [ paulmck: Apply Frederic Weisbecker feedback. ]

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis
How this class of weakness works · CWE-476

The code follows a pointer that is null, crashing the process. An attacker who can reliably trigger it turns the crash into a denial of service. The fix is checking for null before use and handling the failure path gracefully.

General guidance for the null pointer dereference class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:< 5.10.181>= 5.11, < 5.15.113>= 5.16, < 6.1.30>= 6.2, < 6.3.4

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.10.181 / 5.15.113 / 6.1.30 or later
Fixed in 5.10.1815.15.1136.1.30
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

Linux kernel >= 5.10.181, >= 5.15.113, >= 6.1.30, or >= 6.3.4 (depending on your branch)

  1. Identify the currently running kernel version using 'uname -r'
  2. Check which version range your current kernel falls into (5.10.x, 5.11-5.15.x, 5.16-6.1.x, or 6.2-6.3.x)
  3. Apply the kernel patch from commit 2bc0ae94ef1f9ed322d8ee439de3239ea3632ab2, or upgrade to a kernel version containing the fix
  4. For 5.10.x kernels: upgrade to >= 5.10.181
  5. For 5.11-5.15.x kernels: upgrade to >= 5.15.113
  6. For 5.16-6.1.x kernels: upgrade to >= 6.1.30
  7. For 6.2-6.3.x kernels: upgrade to >= 6.3.4
  8. Reboot into the patched kernel

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $2,850. Get the upgrade done

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-53419 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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