CVE-2023-54220

Kernel crash via stale power-management callback

Published Dec 30, 2025 · Updated Dec 30, 2025

A stale callback in the Linux 8250 serial driver allows local users to crash affected kernels after a hardware-specific driver is unloaded. The unbind path resets port->ops but leaves an initialized port->pm callback uncleared, so serial8250_pm() later invokes a function belonging to the removed driver. Reaching the fault requires privileged module removal and a driver that set port->pm; the resulting kernel oops interrupts the host.

CVSS severity7.8
High
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

A stale callback in the Linux 8250 serial driver allows local users to crash affected kernels after a hardware-specific driver is unloaded. The unbind path resets port->ops but leaves an initialized port->pm callback uncleared, so serial8250_pm() later invokes a function belonging to the removed driver. Reaching the fault requires privileged module removal and a driver that set port->pm; the resulting kernel oops interrupts the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54220
Published
Dec 30, 2025
Updated
Dec 30, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 30, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 30, 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=04e82793f068d2f0ffe62fcea03d007a8cdc16a7 <375806616f8c772c33d40e112530887b37c1a816
  2. Affected versionversion=04e82793f068d2f0ffe62fcea03d007a8cdc16a7 <dfe2aeb226fd5e19b0ee795f4f6ed8bc494c1534
  3. Affected versionversion=1ba5594739d858e524ff0f398ee1ebfe0a8b9d41 <18e27df4f2b4e257c317ba8076f31a888f6cc64b
  4. Affected versionversion=2c86a1305c1406f45ea780d06953c484ea1d9e6e <bd70d0b28010d560a8be96b44fea86fe2ba016ae
  5. Affected versionversion=490bf37eaabb0a857ed1ae8e75d8854e41662f1c <66f3e55960698c874b0598277913b478ecd29573
  6. Affected versionversion=6.4
  7. Affected versionversion=8e596aed5f2f98cf3e6e98d6fe1d689f4a319308
  8. Affected versionversion=af4d6dbb1a92ea424ad1ba1d0c88c7fa2345d872 <0c05493341d6f2097f75f0a5dbb7b53a9e8c5f6c
  9. Affected versionversion=c9e080c3005fd183c56ff8f4d75edb5da0765d2c <720a297b334e85d34099e83d1f375b92c3efedd6
  10. Affected versionversion=d5cd2928d31042a7c0a01464f9a8d95be736421d <b653289ca6460a6552c8590b75dfa84a0140a46b

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=04e82793f068d2f0ffe62fcea03d007a8cdc16a7 <375806616f8c772c33d40e112530887b37c1a816; version=04e82793f068d2f0ffe62fcea03d007a8cdc16a7 <dfe2aeb226fd5e19b0ee795f4f6ed8bc494c1534; version=1ba5594739d858e524ff0f398ee1ebfe0a8b9d41 <18e27df4f2b4e257c317ba8076f31a888f6cc64b; version=2c86a1305c1406f45ea780d06953c484ea1d9e6e <bd70d0b28010d560a8be96b44fea86fe2ba016ae; version=490bf37eaabb0a857ed1ae8e75d8854e41662f1c <66f3e55960698c874b0598277913b478ecd29573; version=6.4; version=8e596aed5f2f98cf3e6e98d6fe1d689f4a319308; version=af4d6dbb1a92ea424ad1ba1d0c88c7fa2345d872 <0c05493341d6f2097f75f0a5dbb7b53a9e8c5f6c; version=c9e080c3005fd183c56ff8f4d75edb5da0765d2c <720a297b334e85d34099e83d1f375b92c3efedd6; version=d5cd2928d31042a7c0a01464f9a8d95be736421d <b653289ca6460a6552c8590b75dfa84a0140a46b

Published CVSS scores

7.8LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application 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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