CVE-2023-53280

Kernel crash via uninitialized wait-queue wakeup

Published Sep 16, 2025 · Updated Sep 16, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in Linux qla2xxx allows local users to crash the kernel by triggering an NVMe-FC connection failure. When qla2x00_start_sp returns EAGAIN, qla_nvme_ls_req calls wake_up on the removed and uninitialized sp->nvme_ls_waitq object, causing a null dereference. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and the affected qla2xxx NVMe-FC path; the reported consequence is a host crash without confidentiality or integrity impact.

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

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in Linux qla2xxx allows local users to crash the kernel by triggering an NVMe-FC connection failure. When qla2x00_start_sp returns EAGAIN, qla_nvme_ls_req calls wake_up on the removed and uninitialized sp->nvme_ls_waitq object, causing a null dereference. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and the affected qla2xxx NVMe-FC path; the reported consequence is a host crash without confidentiality or integrity impact.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53280
Published
Sep 16, 2025
Updated
Sep 16, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 16, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 2025Record 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=4.14
  2. Affected versionversion=5621b0dd74532c09965264c14958de3f85b498a6 <0b1ce92fabdb7d02ddf8641230a06e2752ae5baa
  3. Affected versionversion=5621b0dd74532c09965264c14958de3f85b498a6 <20fce500b232b970e40312a9c97e7f3b6d7a709c
  4. Affected versionversion=5621b0dd74532c09965264c14958de3f85b498a6 <522ee1b3030f3b6b5fd59489d12b4ca767c9e5da
  5. Affected versionversion=5621b0dd74532c09965264c14958de3f85b498a6 <92529387a0066754fd9cda080fb3298b8cca750c
  6. Affected versionversion=5621b0dd74532c09965264c14958de3f85b498a6 <b7084ebf4f54d46fed5153112d685f4137334175
  7. Affected versionversion=5621b0dd74532c09965264c14958de3f85b498a6 <f459d586fdf12c53116c9fddf43065165fdd5969

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.14; version=5621b0dd74532c09965264c14958de3f85b498a6 <0b1ce92fabdb7d02ddf8641230a06e2752ae5baa; version=5621b0dd74532c09965264c14958de3f85b498a6 <20fce500b232b970e40312a9c97e7f3b6d7a709c; version=5621b0dd74532c09965264c14958de3f85b498a6 <522ee1b3030f3b6b5fd59489d12b4ca767c9e5da; version=5621b0dd74532c09965264c14958de3f85b498a6 <92529387a0066754fd9cda080fb3298b8cca750c; version=5621b0dd74532c09965264c14958de3f85b498a6 <b7084ebf4f54d46fed5153112d685f4137334175; version=5621b0dd74532c09965264c14958de3f85b498a6 <f459d586fdf12c53116c9fddf43065165fdd5969

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-476NULL Pointer Dereference
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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