CVE-2023-53549

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: ipset: Rework long task execution when adding/deleting entries When adding/deleting large number of elements in one step in ipset, it can take a reasonable amount of time and can result in soft lockup errors. The patch 5f7b51bf09ba ("netfilter: ipset: Limit the maximal range of consecutive elements to add/delete") tried to fix it by limiting the max elements to process at all. However it was not enough, it is still possible that we get hung tasks. Lowering the limit is not reasonable, so the approach in this patch is as follows: rely on the method used at resizing sets and save the state when we reach a smaller internal batch limit, unlock/lock and proceed from the saved state. Thus we can avoid long continuous tasks and at the same time removed the limit to add/delete large number of elements in one step. The nfnl mutex is held during the whole operation which prevents one to issue other ipset commands in parallel.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-10-04
Last modified 2026-03-23
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

Weakness type

CWE-667

CVE-2023-53549 is a Improper Locking vulnerability

What is Improper Locking?

The product does not properly acquire or release a lock, which can lead to unexpected behaviour. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.10.157, 5.13.14, 5.14 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.10.163, 5.15.87, 6.0.19, 6.1.5, 6.2 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.10.157 ≥ 5.13.14 ≥ 5.14
Fixed in
✓ 5.10.163 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.87 5.15.x ✓ 6.0.19 6.0.x ✓ 6.1.5 6.1.x ✓ 6.2

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2023-53549 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

5 patch commits total View all on NVD

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2023-53549?

    CVE-2023-53549 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as an Improper Locking flaw (CWE-667) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.10.157 onward and has been patched in 5.10.163, 5.15.87, 6.0.19 and others. CVE-2023-53549 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2023-53549?

    CVE-2023-53549 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-2023-53549?

    Yes — CVE-2023-53549 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.163, 5.15.87, 6.0.19 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.10.157 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2023-53549 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2023-53549 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is Improper Locking (CWE-667)?

    The product does not properly acquire or release a lock, which can lead to unexpected behaviour. View CWE-667 on MITRE CWE →

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