CVE-2023-53051

Service interruption via unbounded dmcrypt_write loop

Published May 2, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Denial of service in Linux kernel dm-crypt 4.0 through 6.2.8 allows local users to trigger a CPU soft lockup through sustained writes. The dmcrypt_write() loop in drivers/md/dm-crypt.c repeatedly submits encrypted write bios without calling cond_resched(), allowing it to monopolize a CPU for an unbounded interval. Reachability requires low-privileged local access and an active dm-crypt mapping; the demonstrated consequence is a watchdog-reported CPU soft lockup and service interruption, not data disclosure or modification.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in Linux kernel dm-crypt 4.0 through 6.2.8 allows local users to trigger a CPU soft lockup through sustained writes. The dmcrypt_write() loop in drivers/md/dm-crypt.c repeatedly submits encrypted write bios without calling cond_resched(), allowing it to monopolize a CPU for an unbounded interval. Reachability requires low-privileged local access and an active dm-crypt mapping; the demonstrated consequence is a watchdog-reported CPU soft lockup and service interruption, not data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53051
Published
May 2, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-835, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 2, 2025CVE 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=4.0
  2. Affected versionversion=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <2c743db1193bf0e76c73d71ede08bd9b96e6c31d
  3. Affected versionversion=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <66ff37993dd7e9954b6446237fe2453b380ce40d
  4. Affected versionversion=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <7b9f8efb5fc888dd938d2964e705b8e00f1dc0f6
  5. Affected versionversion=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <885c28ceae7dab2b18c2cc0eb95f1f82b1f629d1
  6. Affected versionversion=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <e87cd83f70504f1cd2e428966f353c007d6d2d7f
  7. Affected versionversion=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <eb485b7404a281d974bd445ddc5b0b8d5958f371
  8. Affected versionversion=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <f0eb61b493dbbc32529fbd0d2e945b71b0e47306
  9. Affected versionversion=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <fb294b1c0ba982144ca467a75e7d01ff26304e2b

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.0; version=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <2c743db1193bf0e76c73d71ede08bd9b96e6c31d; version=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <66ff37993dd7e9954b6446237fe2453b380ce40d; version=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <7b9f8efb5fc888dd938d2964e705b8e00f1dc0f6; version=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <885c28ceae7dab2b18c2cc0eb95f1f82b1f629d1; version=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <e87cd83f70504f1cd2e428966f353c007d6d2d7f; version=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <eb485b7404a281d974bd445ddc5b0b8d5958f371; version=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <f0eb61b493dbbc32529fbd0d2e945b71b0e47306; version=dc2676210c425ee8e5cb1bec5bc84d004ddf4179 <fb294b1c0ba982144ca467a75e7d01ff26304e2b

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS: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-835Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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