CVE-2023-53603

Kernel crash via NULL fcport dereference

Published Oct 4, 2025 · Updated Oct 4, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in the qla2xxx SCSI driver in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel through a faulty cleanup path. In drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_edif.c, an error path reaches cleanup when sa_ctl is NULL before fcport has been assigned, then dereferences fcport. Low-privilege local access is required; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash, with no reported confidentiality or integrity impact.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.15%
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 the qla2xxx SCSI driver in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel through a faulty cleanup path. In drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_edif.c, an error path reaches cleanup when sa_ctl is NULL before fcport has been assigned, then dereferences fcport. Low-privilege local access is required; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash, with no reported confidentiality or integrity impact.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53603
Published
Oct 4, 2025
Updated
Oct 4, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 4, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 4, 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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4406fe8a96a946c7ea5724ee59625755a1d9c59d
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <477bc74ad1add644b606bff6ba1284943c42818a
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6b504d06976fe4a61cc05dedc68b84fadb397f77
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7bbeff613ec0560fb2f6f8b405288f3f043adf64

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4406fe8a96a946c7ea5724ee59625755a1d9c59d; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <477bc74ad1add644b606bff6ba1284943c42818a; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6b504d06976fe4a61cc05dedc68b84fadb397f77; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7bbeff613ec0560fb2f6f8b405288f3f043adf64

Published CVSS scores

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

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
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application 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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