Vulnerability · Published Sep 15, 2025 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2023-53167tracing: Fix null pointer dereference in tracing_err_log_open()

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 5% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS NVD)5.5Medium
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 94.8% 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: tracing: Fix null pointer dereference in tracing_err_log_open() Fix an issue in function 'tracing_err_log_open'. The function doesn't call 'seq_open' if the file is opened only with write permissions, which results in 'file->private_data' being left as null. If we then use 'lseek' on that opened file, 'seq_lseek' dereferences 'file->private_data' in 'mutex_lock(&m->lock)', resulting in a kernel panic. Writing to this node requires root privileges, therefore this bug has very little security impact. Tracefs node: /sys/kernel/tracing/error_log Example Kernel panic: Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000038 Call trace: mutex_lock+0x30/0x110 seq_lseek+0x34/0xb8 __arm64_sys_lseek+0x6c/0xb8 invoke_syscall+0x58/0x13c el0_svc_common+0xc4/0x10c do_el0_svc+0x24/0x98 el0_svc+0x24/0x88 el0t_64_sync_handler+0x84/0xe4 el0t_64_sync+0x1b4/0x1b8 Code: d503201f aa0803e0 aa1f03e1 aa0103e9 (c8e97d02) ---[ end trace 561d1b49c12cf8a5 ]--- Kernel panic - not syncing: Oops: Fatal exception

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:12linux6.1.52-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53167
Debian:13linux6.4.11-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53167
Debian:14linux6.4.11-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux5.15.0-86.96UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws5.15.0-1047.52UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure5.15.0-1049.56UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde5.15.0-1049.56.1UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp5.15.0-1044.52UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gke5.15.0-1044.49UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gkeop5.15.0-1030.35UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-ibm5.15.0-1040.43UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-intelno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iotg5.15.0-1043.49UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-kvm5.15.0-1044.49UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency5.15.0-86.95UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia5.15.0-1037.37UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-tegra5.15.0-1018.18UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-tegra-igx5.15.0-1005.5UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle5.15.0-1045.51UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-raspi5.15.0-1040.43UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-xilinx-zynqmp5.15.0-1025.29UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 8a062902be725f647dc8da532b04d836546a369a – before 93114cbc7cb169f6f26eeaed5286b91bb86b463b8a062902be725f647dc8da532b04d836546a369a – before 7060e5aac6dc195124c106f49106d653a416323a8a062902be725f647dc8da532b04d836546a369a – before 3b5d9b7b875968a8a8c99dac45cb85b705c448028a062902be725f647dc8da532b04d836546a369a – before 938d5b7a75e18264887387ddf9169db6d8aeef988a062902be725f647dc8da532b04d836546a369a – before 1e1c9aa9288a46c342f0f2c5c0b1c0876b9b02768a062902be725f647dc8da532b04d836546a369a – before 02b0095e2fbbc060560c1065f86a211d91e27b26
Linux Linux 5.2

References