CVE-2023-53281

Kernel oops via incompatible IRQ locking

Published Sep 16, 2025 · Updated Sep 16, 2025

Improper locking in affected Linux kernels allows local users to trigger a kernel oops through an rtl8723bs wireless join timeout. _rtw_join_timeout_handler() keeps IRQs disabled with spin_lock_irq() while rtw_do_join() releases scanned_queue.lock with spin_unlock_bh(), re-enabling softirqs where lockdep requires IRQs enabled. Reachability requires the staging r8723bs driver and its join-timeout path; the documented consequence is an oops with no confidentiality or integrity impact.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.12%
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 affected Linux kernels allows local users to trigger a kernel oops through an rtl8723bs wireless join timeout. _rtw_join_timeout_handler() keeps IRQs disabled with spin_lock_irq() while rtw_do_join() releases scanned_queue.lock with spin_unlock_bh(), re-enabling softirqs where lockdep requires IRQs enabled. Reachability requires the staging r8723bs driver and its join-timeout path; the documented consequence is an oops with no confidentiality or integrity impact.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53281
Published
Sep 16, 2025
Updated
Sep 16, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-667, T1499.004
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=041879b12ddb0c6c83ed9c0bdd10dc82a056f2fc <215792eda008f6a1e7ed9d77fa20d582d22bb114
  2. Affected versionversion=041879b12ddb0c6c83ed9c0bdd10dc82a056f2fc <2a50e44a66d268ee5db3d177f1fdc1503dbce6e7
  3. Affected versionversion=041879b12ddb0c6c83ed9c0bdd10dc82a056f2fc <4ab1bace1dd3875371b481ef4301c4671bddea22
  4. Affected versionversion=041879b12ddb0c6c83ed9c0bdd10dc82a056f2fc <dc327e87c6d9bfd9ee08e76396b3c0ba848ec554
  5. Affected versionversion=1f6c99b94ca3caad346876b3e22e3ca3d25bc8ee
  6. Affected versionversion=5.19
  7. Affected versionversion=ae60744d5fad840b9d056d35b4b652d95e755846 <209850f17717a3b5cc558578bef5631ac7045539
  8. Affected versionversion=eca9748d9267a38d532464e3305a38629e9c35a9

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=041879b12ddb0c6c83ed9c0bdd10dc82a056f2fc <215792eda008f6a1e7ed9d77fa20d582d22bb114; version=041879b12ddb0c6c83ed9c0bdd10dc82a056f2fc <2a50e44a66d268ee5db3d177f1fdc1503dbce6e7; version=041879b12ddb0c6c83ed9c0bdd10dc82a056f2fc <4ab1bace1dd3875371b481ef4301c4671bddea22; version=041879b12ddb0c6c83ed9c0bdd10dc82a056f2fc <dc327e87c6d9bfd9ee08e76396b3c0ba848ec554; version=1f6c99b94ca3caad346876b3e22e3ca3d25bc8ee; version=5.19; version=ae60744d5fad840b9d056d35b4b652d95e755846 <209850f17717a3b5cc558578bef5631ac7045539; version=eca9748d9267a38d532464e3305a38629e9c35a9

Published CVSS scores

5.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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

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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
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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