CVE-2023-52516

Local system hang via reversed lock ordering

Published Mar 2, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

Improper locking in Linux allows local users to hang affected systems through concurrent DMA-debug and console activity. In kernel/dma/debug.c, __dma_entry_alloc_check_leak() calls printk while free_entries_lock is held, reversing the order used by the Qualcomm GENI interrupt path. Reachability requires CONFIG_DMA_API_DEBUG and the conflicting DMA and serial-console paths; Ubuntu reports that the configuration is disabled by default.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper locking in Linux allows local users to hang affected systems through concurrent DMA-debug and console activity. In kernel/dma/debug.c, __dma_entry_alloc_check_leak() calls printk while free_entries_lock is held, reversing the order used by the Qualcomm GENI interrupt path. Reachability requires CONFIG_DMA_API_DEBUG and the conflicting DMA and serial-console paths; Ubuntu reports that the configuration is disabled by default.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-52516
Published
Mar 2, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-667, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 2, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=5.0
  2. Affected versionversion=ceb51173b2b5bd7af0d99079f6bbacdcfc58fe08 <ac0d068099349cbca3d93f2e3b15bb329364b08c
  3. Affected versionversion=ceb51173b2b5bd7af0d99079f6bbacdcfc58fe08 <be8f49029eca3efbad0d74dbff3cb9129994ffab
  4. Affected versionversion=ceb51173b2b5bd7af0d99079f6bbacdcfc58fe08 <c79300599923daaa30f417c75555d5566b3d31ae
  5. Affected versionversion=ceb51173b2b5bd7af0d99079f6bbacdcfc58fe08 <fb5a4315591dae307a65fc246ca80b5159d296e1
  6. Affected versionversion=ceb51173b2b5bd7af0d99079f6bbacdcfc58fe08 <fe2b811a02c3244ebf6059039e4a9e715e26a9e3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.0; version=ceb51173b2b5bd7af0d99079f6bbacdcfc58fe08 <ac0d068099349cbca3d93f2e3b15bb329364b08c; version=ceb51173b2b5bd7af0d99079f6bbacdcfc58fe08 <be8f49029eca3efbad0d74dbff3cb9129994ffab; version=ceb51173b2b5bd7af0d99079f6bbacdcfc58fe08 <c79300599923daaa30f417c75555d5566b3d31ae; version=ceb51173b2b5bd7af0d99079f6bbacdcfc58fe08 <fb5a4315591dae307a65fc246ca80b5159d296e1; version=ceb51173b2b5bd7af0d99079f6bbacdcfc58fe08 <fe2b811a02c3244ebf6059039e4a9e715e26a9e3

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-667Improper Locking
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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