Vulnerability · Published Sep 18, 2025 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2023-53419rcu: Protect rcu_print_task_exp_stall() ->exp_tasks access

Medium 5.5

In plain English

A medium-severity null pointer dereference in Linux from Linux. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 5% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)5.5Medium
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 94.9% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsCISA SSVC: none
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

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. ]

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:12linux6.1.37-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53419
Debian:13linux6.3.7-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53419
Debian:14linux6.3.7-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux5.15.0-83.92UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws5.15.0-1044.49UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure5.15.0-1046.53UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde5.15.0-1046.53.1UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp5.15.0-1041.49UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gke5.15.0-1041.46UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gkeop5.15.0-1027.32UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-ibm5.15.0-1037.40UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-intelno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iotg5.15.0-1039.45UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-kvm5.15.0-1041.46UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency5.15.0-83.92UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia5.15.0-1032.32UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-tegra5.15.0-1017.17UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-tegra-igx5.15.0-1004.4UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle5.15.0-1042.48UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-raspi5.15.0-1037.40UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-xilinx-zynqmp5.15.0-1025.29UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53419

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 314eeb43e5f22856b281c91c966e51e5782a3498 – before a7d21b8585894e6fff973f6ddae42f02b13f600f314eeb43e5f22856b281c91c966e51e5782a3498 – before e30a55e98ae6c44253d8b129efefd5da5bc6e3bc314eeb43e5f22856b281c91c966e51e5782a3498 – before d0a8c0e31a09ec1efd53079083e2a677956b4d91314eeb43e5f22856b281c91c966e51e5782a3498 – before 2bc0ae94ef1f9ed322d8ee439de3239ea3632ab2314eeb43e5f22856b281c91c966e51e5782a3498 – before 3c1566bca3f8349f12b75d0a2d5e4a20ad6262ec
Linux Linux 5.8

Weakness: CWE-476 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

References