CVE-2023-53731

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netlink: fix potential deadlock in netlink_set_err() syzbot reported a possible deadlock in netlink_set_err() [1] A similar issue was fixed in commit 1d482e666b8e ("netlink: disable IRQs for netlink_lock_table()") in netlink_lock_table() This patch adds IRQ safety to netlink_set_err() and __netlink_diag_dump() which were not covered by cited commit. [1] WARNING: possible irq lock inversion dependency detected 6.4.0-rc6-syzkaller-00240-g4e9f0ec38852 #0 Not tainted syz-executor.2/23011 just changed the state of lock: ffffffff8e1a7a58 (nl_table_lock){.+.?}-{2:2}, at: netlink_set_err+0x2e/0x3a0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1612 but this lock was taken by another, SOFTIRQ-safe lock in the past: (&local->queue_stop_reason_lock){..-.}-{2:2} and interrupts could create inverse lock ordering between them. other info that might help us debug this: Possible interrupt unsafe locking scenario: CPU0 CPU1 ---- ---- lock(nl_table_lock); local_irq_disable(); lock(&local->queue_stop_reason_lock); lock(nl_table_lock); <Interrupt> lock(&local->queue_stop_reason_lock); *** DEADLOCK ***

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-10-22
Last modified 2026-04-15
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 4.14.237, 4.19.195, 5.4.126, 5.10.44, 4.4.273, 4.9.273, 5.12.11, 5.13 and later are affected. Fixed in 4.14.322, 4.19.291, 5.4.251, 5.10.188, 5.15.121, 6.1.39, 6.3.13, 6.4.4, 6.5 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 4.14.237 ≥ 4.19.195 ≥ 5.4.126 ≥ 5.10.44 ≥ 4.4.273 ≥ 4.9.273 ≥ 5.12.11 ≥ 5.13
Fixed in
✓ 4.14.322 4.14.x ✓ 4.19.291 4.19.x ✓ 5.4.251 5.4.x ✓ 5.10.188 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.121 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.39 6.1.x ✓ 6.3.13 6.3.x ✓ 6.4.4 6.4.x ✓ 6.5

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2023-53731 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-2023-53731?

    CVE-2023-53731 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 4.14.237 onward and has been patched in 4.14.322, 4.19.291, 5.4.251 and others. CVE-2023-53731 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2023-53731?

    Yes — CVE-2023-53731 has been patched. Fixed versions include 4.14.322, 4.19.291, 5.4.251 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 4.14.237 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2023-53731 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2023-53731 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.