Vulnerability · Published Dec 30, 2025 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2023-54321driver core: fix potential null-ptr-deref in device_add()

Medium 5.5

In plain English

A medium-severity security flaw 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 4% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS NVD)5.5Medium
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 95.5% 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: driver core: fix potential null-ptr-deref in device_add() I got the following null-ptr-deref report while doing fault injection test: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000058 CPU: 2 PID: 278 Comm: 37-i2c-ds2482 Tainted: G B W N 6.1.0-rc3+ RIP: 0010:klist_put+0x2d/0xd0 Call Trace: <TASK> klist_remove+0xf1/0x1c0 device_release_driver_internal+0x196/0x210 bus_remove_device+0x1bd/0x240 device_add+0xd3d/0x1100 w1_add_master_device+0x476/0x490 [wire] ds2482_probe+0x303/0x3e0 [ds2482] This is how it happened: w1_alloc_dev() // The dev->driver is set to w1_master_driver. memcpy(&dev->dev, device, sizeof(struct device)); device_add() bus_add_device() dpm_sysfs_add() // It fails, calls bus_remove_device. // error path bus_remove_device() // The dev->driver is not null, but driver is not bound. __device_release_driver() klist_remove(&dev->p->knode_driver) <-- It causes null-ptr-deref. // normal path bus_probe_device() // It's not called yet. device_bind_driver() If dev->driver is set, in the error path after calling bus_add_device() in device_add(), bus_remove_device() is called, then the device will be detached from driver. But device_bind_driver() is not called yet, so it causes null-ptr-deref while access the 'knode_driver'. To fix this, set dev->driver to null in the error path before calling bus_remove_device().

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:12linux6.1.20-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54321
Debian:13linux6.1.20-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54321
Debian:14linux6.1.20-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux5.15.0-75.82UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws5.15.0-1038.43UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure5.15.0-1040.47UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde5.15.0-1041.48.1UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp5.15.0-1036.44UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gke5.15.0-1036.41UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gkeop5.15.0-1022.27UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-ibm5.15.0-1032.35UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iotg5.15.0-1033.38UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-kvm5.15.0-1035.40UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency5.15.0-75.82UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia5.15.0-1027.27UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-tegra5.15.0-1015.15UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle5.15.0-1037.43UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-raspi5.15.0-1032.35UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54321

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba – before 97aa8fb74bbe9aaf4ed5962a784f73b071bd16bf57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba – before 2c59650d078b1b3f1ea50d5f8ee9fcc537dc02d357eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba – before 7cf515bf9e8c2908dc170ecf2df117162a16c9c557eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba – before 17982304806c5c10924e73f7ca5556e0d737845257eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba – before f6837f34a34973ef6600c08195ed300e24e97317
Linux Linux 2.6.26

References