CVE-2023-53620

Local denial of service via resync counter race

Published Oct 7, 2025 · Updated Oct 7, 2025

Denial of service in the Linux kernel md subsystem allows local users to cause a CPU soft lockup while array resync status is read. The status_resync function subtracts concurrently updated curr_resync and recovery_active counters without synchronization, so underflow produces a huge loop bound for progress-bar output. A low-privileged local user must reach md resync status reporting; the documented consequence is processor lockup and service interruption, not data disclosure or modification.

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

Denial of service in the Linux kernel md subsystem allows local users to cause a CPU soft lockup while array resync status is read. The status_resync function subtracts concurrently updated curr_resync and recovery_active counters without synchronization, so underflow produces a huge loop bound for progress-bar output. A low-privileged local user must reach md resync status reporting; the documented consequence is processor lockup and service interruption, not data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53620
Published
Oct 7, 2025
Updated
Oct 7, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-667, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 7, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 7, 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 <23309704e90859af2662bedc44101e6d1d2ece7e
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6efddf1e32e2a264694766ca485a4f5e04ee82a7
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b4acb6c3ede88d6b7d33742a09e63cfce5e7fb69

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <23309704e90859af2662bedc44101e6d1d2ece7e; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6efddf1e32e2a264694766ca485a4f5e04ee82a7; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b4acb6c3ede88d6b7d33742a09e63cfce5e7fb69

Published CVSS scores

5.5Canonical UbuntuCVSS: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

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.

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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