Kernel crash via null driver-data dereference
Published Oct 7, 2025 · Updated Oct 7, 2025
NULL pointer dereference in affected Linux kernel versions allows local users with device-removal privileges to crash the kernel. The bcm_qspi_probe path returns success when both hif_mspi and mspi resources are absent, leaving platform driver data unset; bcm_qspi_remove then dereferences that null value while unregistering the SPI master. The crash requires a bcm-qspi device with neither resource and a later device-removal or driver-unbind operation, so systems without that hardware configuration are not exposed.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in affected Linux kernel versions allows local users with device-removal privileges to crash the kernel. The bcm_qspi_probe path returns success when both hif_mspi and mspi resources are absent, leaving platform driver data unset; bcm_qspi_remove then dereferences that null value while unregistering the SPI master. The crash requires a bcm-qspi device with neither resource and a later device-removal or driver-unbind operation, so systems without that hardware configuration are not exposed.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-53658
- Published
- Oct 7, 2025
- Updated
- Oct 7, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 7, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=4.9
- Affected versionversion=fa236a7ef24048bafaeed13f68df35a819794758 <217b6ea8cf7b819477bca597a6ae2d43d38ba283
- Affected versionversion=fa236a7ef24048bafaeed13f68df35a819794758 <22ae32d80ef590d12a2364e4621f90f7c58445c7
- Affected versionversion=fa236a7ef24048bafaeed13f68df35a819794758 <32b9c8f7892c19f7f5c9fed5fb410b9fd5990bb6
- Affected versionversion=fa236a7ef24048bafaeed13f68df35a819794758 <398e6a015877d44327f754aeb48ff3354945c78c
- Affected versionversion=fa236a7ef24048bafaeed13f68df35a819794758 <7c1f23ad34fcdace50275a6aa1e1969b41c6233f
- Affected versionversion=fa236a7ef24048bafaeed13f68df35a819794758 <a91c34357afcfaa5307e254f22a8452550a07b34
- Affected versionversion=fa236a7ef24048bafaeed13f68df35a819794758 <d20db3c58a7f9361e370a7850ceb60dbdf62eea3
- Affected versionversion=fa236a7ef24048bafaeed13f68df35a819794758 <d3dcdb43c872a3b967345144151a2c9bb9124c9b
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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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