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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2023-53542

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-10-04
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.14.308 / 4.19.276 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: ARM: dts: exynos: Use Exynos5420 compatible for the MIPI video phy For some reason, the driver adding support for Exynos5420 MIPI phy back in 2016 wasn't used on Exynos5420, which caused a kernel panic. Add the proper compatible for it.

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

A detailed technical summary for this CVE is being prepared.

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:>= 4.2, < 4.14.308>= 4.15, < 4.19.276>= 4.20, < 5.4.235>= 5.5, < 5.10.173>= 5.11, < 5.15.99>= 5.16, < 6.1.16>= 6.2, < 6.2.3

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 4.14.308 / 4.19.276 / 5.4.235 or later
Fixed in 4.14.3084.19.2765.4.235
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

4.14.308+ (for 4.14.y branch), 4.19.276+ (for 4.19.y branch), 5.4.235+ (for 5.4.y branch), or 5.10.173+ (for 5.10.y branch)

  1. Identify the specific kernel branch and version currently running (e.g., uname -r)
  2. Obtain the patch from commit 199624f3144d79fab1cff533ce6a4b82390520a3: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/199624f3144d79fab1cff533ce6a4b82390520a3
  3. Apply the patch to the kernel source tree, which adds the Exynos5420 compatible string ('samsung,exynos5420-mipi-video-phy') to the relevant device tree source file (arch/arm/boot/dts/exynos5420-*.dts)
  4. Rebuild the device tree blobs (dtbs) and the kernel if custom compilation is used
  5. Deploy the updated device tree blob (.dtb) file to the affected Exynos5420-based device
  6. Reboot the device to load the corrected device tree
Caveat Minor: This is a device tree change only; no kernel API changes. Ensure bootloader passes correct device tree to kernel. Custom device trees may need corresponding compatible string updates if they reference the old binding.

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

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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-2023-53542 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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