Vulnerability · Published Sep 16, 2025 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2023-53291rcu/rcuscale: Stop kfree_scale_thread thread(s) after unloading rcuscale

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 0.1% (higher than 4% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)5.5Medium
Exploit odds (30 days)0.1%top 95.9% 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/rcuscale: Stop kfree_scale_thread thread(s) after unloading rcuscale Running the 'kfree_rcu_test' test case [1] results in a splat [2]. The root cause is the kfree_scale_thread thread(s) continue running after unloading the rcuscale module. This commit fixes that isue by invoking kfree_scale_cleanup() from rcu_scale_cleanup() when removing the rcuscale module. [1] modprobe rcuscale kfree_rcu_test=1 // After some time rmmod rcuscale rmmod torture [2] BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffffffc0601a87 #PF: supervisor instruction fetch in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0010) - not-present page PGD 11de4f067 P4D 11de4f067 PUD 11de51067 PMD 112f4d067 PTE 0 Oops: 0010 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI CPU: 1 PID: 1798 Comm: kfree_scale_thr Not tainted 6.3.0-rc1-rcu+ #1 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015 RIP: 0010:0xffffffffc0601a87 Code: Unable to access opcode bytes at 0xffffffffc0601a5d. RSP: 0018:ffffb25bc2e57e18 EFLAGS: 00010297 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffffffffc061f0b6 RCX: 0000000000000000 RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffffffff962fd0de RDI: ffffffff962fd0de RBP: ffffb25bc2e57ea8 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000000 R10: 0000000000000001 R11: 0000000000000001 R12: 0000000000000000 R13: 0000000000000000 R14: 000000000000000a R15: 00000000001c1dbe FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff921fa2200000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: ffffffffc0601a5d CR3: 000000011de4c006 CR4: 0000000000370ee0 DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000 DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400 Call Trace: <TASK> ? kvfree_call_rcu+0xf0/0x3a0 ? kthread+0xf3/0x120 ? kthread_complete_and_exit+0x20/0x20 ? ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30 </TASK> Modules linked in: rfkill sunrpc ... [last unloaded: torture] CR2: ffffffffc0601a87 ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:12linux6.1.52-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53291
Debian:13linux6.4.4-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53291
Debian:14linux6.4.4-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux5.15.0-86.96UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws5.15.0-1047.52UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure5.15.0-1049.56UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde5.15.0-1049.56.1UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp5.15.0-1044.52UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gke5.15.0-1044.49UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gkeop5.15.0-1030.35UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-ibm5.15.0-1040.43UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-intelno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iotg5.15.0-1043.49UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-kvm5.15.0-1044.49UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency5.15.0-86.95UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia5.15.0-1037.37UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-tegra5.15.0-1018.18UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-tegra-igx5.15.0-1005.5UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle5.15.0-1045.51UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-raspi5.15.0-1040.43UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-xilinx-zynqmp5.15.0-1025.29UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux e6e78b004fa7e0ab455d46d27f218bf6ce178a18 – before 604d6a5ff718874904b0fe614878a42b42c0d699e6e78b004fa7e0ab455d46d27f218bf6ce178a18 – before f766d45ab294871a3d588ee76c666852f151cad9e6e78b004fa7e0ab455d46d27f218bf6ce178a18 – before b8a6ba524d41f4da102e65f90498d9a910839621e6e78b004fa7e0ab455d46d27f218bf6ce178a18 – before 1dd7547c7610723b2b6afe1a3c4ddb2bde63387ce6e78b004fa7e0ab455d46d27f218bf6ce178a18 – before 29b1da4f90fc42c91beb4e400d926194925ad31be6e78b004fa7e0ab455d46d27f218bf6ce178a18 – before 23fc8df26dead16687ae6eb47b0561a4a832e2f6
Linux Linux 5.6

References