CVE-2023-54246

Writer-thread hang via uninterruptible holdoff sleep

Published Dec 30, 2025 · Updated Dec 30, 2025

Denial of service in Linux rcuscale allows local users to hang the rcu_scale_writer thread through an excessive holdoff value. The writer passes the configured delay to schedule_timeout_uninterruptible(), leaving the thread blocked long enough to trigger hung-task detection. Reachability requires local control of the rcuscale holdoff parameter; the demonstrated effect is a blocked writer thread and hung-task report.

CVSS severity6.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
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 Linux rcuscale allows local users to hang the rcu_scale_writer thread through an excessive holdoff value. The writer passes the configured delay to schedule_timeout_uninterruptible(), leaving the thread blocked long enough to trigger hung-task detection. Reachability requires local control of the rcuscale holdoff parameter; the demonstrated effect is a blocked writer thread and hung-task report.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54246
Published
Dec 30, 2025
Updated
Dec 30, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4f03fba096bfded90e0d71eba8839a46922164d1
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <55887adc76e19aec9763186e2c1d0a3481d20e96
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <83ed0cdb6ae0383dd14b02375c353773836884ed
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9416dccb31fdb190d25d57e97674f232651f6560
  5. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e60c122a1614b4f65b29a7bef9d83b9fd30e937a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4f03fba096bfded90e0d71eba8839a46922164d1; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <55887adc76e19aec9763186e2c1d0a3481d20e96; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <83ed0cdb6ae0383dd14b02375c353773836884ed; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9416dccb31fdb190d25d57e97674f232651f6560; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e60c122a1614b4f65b29a7bef9d83b9fd30e937a

Published CVSS scores

6.8SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
5.5SUSECVSS: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

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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