CVE-2023-53463

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ibmvnic: Do not reset dql stats on NON_FATAL err All ibmvnic resets, make a call to netdev_tx_reset_queue() when re-opening the device. netdev_tx_reset_queue() resets the num_queued and num_completed byte counters. These stats are used in Byte Queue Limit (BQL) algorithms. The difference between these two stats tracks the number of bytes currently sitting on the physical NIC. ibmvnic increases the number of queued bytes though calls to netdev_tx_sent_queue() in the drivers xmit function. When, VIOS reports that it is done transmitting bytes, the ibmvnic device increases the number of completed bytes through calls to netdev_tx_completed_queue(). It is important to note that the driver batches its transmit calls and num_queued is increased every time that an skb is added to the next batch, not necessarily when the batch is sent to VIOS for transmission. Unlike other reset types, a NON FATAL reset will not flush the sub crq tx buffers. Therefore, it is possible for the batched skb array to be partially full. So if there is call to netdev_tx_reset_queue() when re-opening the device, the value of num_queued (0) would not account for the skb's that are currently batched. Eventually, when the batch is sent to VIOS, the call to netdev_tx_completed_queue() would increase num_completed to a value greater than the num_queued. This causes a BUG_ON crash: ibmvnic 30000002: Firmware reports error, cause: adapter problem. Starting recovery... ibmvnic 30000002: tx error 600 ibmvnic 30000002: tx error 600 ibmvnic 30000002: tx error 600 ibmvnic 30000002: tx error 600 ------------[ cut here ]------------ kernel BUG at lib/dynamic_queue_limits.c:27! Oops: Exception in kernel mode, sig: 5 [....] NIP dql_completed+0x28/0x1c0 LR ibmvnic_complete_tx.isra.0+0x23c/0x420 [ibmvnic] Call Trace: ibmvnic_complete_tx.isra.0+0x3f8/0x420 [ibmvnic] (unreliable) ibmvnic_interrupt_tx+0x40/0x70 [ibmvnic] __handle_irq_event_percpu+0x98/0x270 ---[ end trace ]--- Therefore, do not reset the dql stats when performing a NON_FATAL reset.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-10-01
Last modified 2026-01-16
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.11 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.15.121, 6.1.39, 6.4.4, 6.5 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.11
Fixed in
✓ 5.15.121 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.39 6.1.x ✓ 6.4.4 6.4.x ✓ 6.5

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2023-53463 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2023-53463?

    CVE-2023-53463 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.11 onward and has been patched in 5.15.121, 6.1.39, 6.4.4 and others. CVE-2023-53463 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2023-53463?

    CVE-2023-53463 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2023-53463?

    Yes — CVE-2023-53463 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.15.121, 6.1.39, 6.4.4 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.11 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2023-53463 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2023-53463 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.