Vulnerability · Published Oct 1, 2025 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2023-53523can: gs_usb: fix time stamp counter initialization

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 NVD)5.5Medium
Exploit odds (30 days)0.1%top 96.1% 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: can: gs_usb: fix time stamp counter initialization If the gs_usb device driver is unloaded (or unbound) before the interface is shut down, the USB stack first calls the struct usb_driver::disconnect and then the struct net_device_ops::ndo_stop callback. In gs_usb_disconnect() all pending bulk URBs are killed, i.e. no more RX'ed CAN frames are send from the USB device to the host. Later in gs_can_close() a reset control message is send to each CAN channel to remove the controller from the CAN bus. In this race window the USB device can still receive CAN frames from the bus and internally queue them to be send to the host. At least in the current version of the candlelight firmware, the queue of received CAN frames is not emptied during the reset command. After loading (or binding) the gs_usb driver, new URBs are submitted during the struct net_device_ops::ndo_open callback and the candlelight firmware starts sending its already queued CAN frames to the host. However, this scenario was not considered when implementing the hardware timestamp function. The cycle counter/time counter infrastructure is set up (gs_usb_timestamp_init()) after the USBs are submitted, resulting in a NULL pointer dereference if timecounter_cyc2time() (via the call chain: gs_usb_receive_bulk_callback() -> gs_usb_set_timestamp() -> gs_usb_skb_set_timestamp()) is called too early. Move the gs_usb_timestamp_init() function before the URBs are submitted to fix this problem. For a comprehensive solution, we need to consider gs_usb devices with more than 1 channel. The cycle counter/time counter infrastructure is setup per channel, but the RX URBs are per device. Once gs_can_open() of _a_ channel has been called, and URBs have been submitted, the gs_usb_receive_bulk_callback() can be called for _all_ available channels, even for channels that are not running, yet. As cycle counter/time counter has not set up, this will again lead to a NULL pointer dereference. Convert the cycle counter/time counter from a "per channel" to a "per device" functionality. Also set it up, before submitting any URBs to the device. Further in gs_usb_receive_bulk_callback(), don't process any URBs for not started CAN channels, only resubmit the URB.

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:12linuxno fix listedDEBIAN-CVE-2023-53523
Debian:13linux6.4.11-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53523
Debian:14linux6.4.11-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-intelno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53523

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 45dfa45f52e66f8eee30a64b16550a9c47915044 – before 7d470bb955210eb7d31f14427b48058487d4235545dfa45f52e66f8eee30a64b16550a9c47915044 – before 210a8cffc9c1b044281c0a868485c870c9c1137445dfa45f52e66f8eee30a64b16550a9c47915044 – before 5886e4d5ecec3e22844efed90b2dd383ef804b3a
Linux Linux 6.1

References