CVE-2023-53109

CVE-2023-53109 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: tunnels: annotate lockless accesses to dev->needed_headroom IP tunnels can apparently update dev->needed_headroom in their xmit path. This patch takes care of three tunnels xmit, and also the core LL_RESERVED_SPACE() and LL_RESERVED_SPACE_EXTRA() helpers. More changes might be needed for completeness. BUG: KCSAN: data-race in ip_tunnel_xmit / ip_tunnel_xmit read to 0xffff88815b9da0ec of 2 bytes by task 888 on cpu 1: ip_tunnel_xmit+0x1270/0x1730 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c:803 __gre_xmit net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:469 [inline] ipgre_xmit+0x516/0x570 net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:661 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4881 [inline] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4895 [inline] xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3580 [inline] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x127/0x400 net/core/dev.c:3596 __dev_queue_xmit+0x1007/0x1eb0 net/core/dev.c:4246 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3051 [inline] neigh_direct_output+0x17/0x20 net/core/neighbour.c:1623 neigh_output include/net/neighbour.h:546 [inline] ip_finish_output2+0x740/0x840 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:228 ip_finish_output+0xf4/0x240 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:316 NF_HOOK_COND include/linux/netfilter.h:291 [inline] ip_output+0xe5/0x1b0 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:430 dst_output include/net/dst.h:444 [inline] ip_local_out+0x64/0x80 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:126 iptunnel_xmit+0x34a/0x4b0 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel_core.c:82 ip_tunnel_xmit+0x1451/0x1730 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c:813 __gre_xmit net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:469 [inline] ipgre_xmit+0x516/0x570 net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:661 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4881 [inline] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4895 [inline] xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3580 [inline] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x127/0x400 net/core/dev.c:3596 __dev_queue_xmit+0x1007/0x1eb0 net/core/dev.c:4246 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3051 [inline] neigh_direct_output+0x17/0x20 net/core/neighbour.c:1623 neigh_output include/net/neighbour.h:546 [inline] ip_finish_output2+0x740/0x840 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:228 ip_finish_output+0xf4/0x240 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:316 NF_HOOK_COND include/linux/netfilter.h:291 [inline] ip_output+0xe5/0x1b0 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:430 dst_output include/net/dst.h:444 [inline] ip_local_out+0x64/0x80 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:126 iptunnel_xmit+0x34a/0x4b0 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel_core.c:82 ip_tunnel_xmit+0x1451/0x1730 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c:813 __gre_xmit net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:469 [inline] ipgre_xmit+0x516/0x570 net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:661 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4881 [inline] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4895 [inline] xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3580 [inline] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x127/0x400 net/core/dev.c:3596 __dev_queue_xmit+0x1007/0x1eb0 net/core/dev.c:4246 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3051 [inline] neigh_direct_output+0x17/0x20 net/core/neighbour.c:1623 neigh_output include/net/neighbour.h:546 [inline] ip_finish_output2+0x740/0x840 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:228 ip_finish_output+0xf4/0x240 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:316 NF_HOOK_COND include/linux/netfilter.h:291 [inline] ip_output+0xe5/0x1b0 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:430 dst_output include/net/dst.h:444 [inline] ip_local_out+0x64/0x80 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:126 iptunnel_xmit+0x34a/0x4b0 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel_core.c:82 ip_tunnel_xmit+0x1451/0x1730 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c:813 __gre_xmit net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:469 [inline] ipgre_xmit+0x516/0x570 net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:661 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4881 [inline] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4895 [inline] xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3580 [inline] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x127/0x400 net/core/dev.c:3596 __dev_queue_xmit+0x1007/0x1eb0 net/core/dev.c:4246 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3051 [inline] neigh_direct_output+0x17/0x20 net/core/neighbour.c:1623 neigh_output include/net/neighbour.h:546 [inline] ip_finish_output2+0x740/0x840 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:228 ip_finish_output+0xf4/0x240 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:316 NF_HOOK_COND include/linux/netfilter.h:291 [inline] ip_output+0xe5/0x1b0 net/i ---truncated---

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-53109?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: tunnels: annotate lockless accesses to dev->needed_headroom IP tunnels can apparently update dev->needed_headroom in their xmit path. This patch takes care of three tunnels xmit, and also the core LL_RESERVED_SPACE() and LL_RESERVED_SPACE_EXTRA() helpers. More changes might be needed for completeness. BUG: KCSAN: data-race in ip_tunnel_xmit / ip_tunnel_xmit read to 0xffff88815b9da0ec of 2 bytes by task 888 on cpu 1: ip_tunnel_xmit+0x1270/0x1730 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c:803 __gre_xmit net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:469 [inline] ipgre_xmit+0x516/0x570 net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:661 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4881 [inline] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4895 [inline] xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3580 [inline] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x127/0x400 net/core/dev.c:3596 __dev_queue_xmit+0x1007/0x1eb0 net/core/dev.c:4246 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3051 [inline] neigh_direct_output+0x17/0x20 net/core/neighbour.c:1623 neigh_output include/net/neighbour.h:546 [inline] ip_finish_output2+0x740/0x840 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:228 ip_finish_output+0xf4/0x240 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:316 NF_HOOK_COND include/linux/netfilter.h:291 [inline] ip_output+0xe5/0x1b0 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:430 dst_output include/net/dst.h:444 [inline] ip_local_out+0x64/0x80 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:126 iptunnel_xmit+0x34a/0x4b0 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel_core.c:82 ip_tunnel_xmit+0x1451/0x1730 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c:813 __gre_xmit net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:469 [inline] ipgre_xmit+0x516/0x570 net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:661 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4881 [inline] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4895 [inline] xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3580 [inline] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x127/0x400 net/core/dev.c:3596 __dev_queue_xmit+0x1007/0x1eb0 net/core/dev.c:4246 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3051 [inline] neigh_direct_output+0x17/0x20 net/core/neighbour.c:1623 neigh_output include/net/neighbour.h:546 [inline] ip_finish_output2+0x740/0x840 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:228 ip_finish_output+0xf4/0x240 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:316 NF_HOOK_COND include/linux/netfilter.h:291 [inline] ip_output+0xe5/0x1b0 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:430 dst_output include/net/dst.h:444 [inline] ip_local_out+0x64/0x80 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:126 iptunnel_xmit+0x34a/0x4b0 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel_core.c:82 ip_tunnel_xmit+0x1451/0x1730 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c:813 __gre_xmit net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:469 [inline] ipgre_xmit+0x516/0x570 net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:661 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4881 [inline] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4895 [inline] xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3580 [inline] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x127/0x400 net/core/dev.c:3596 __dev_queue_xmit+0x1007/0x1eb0 net/core/dev.c:4246 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3051 [inline] neigh_direct_output+0x17/0x20 net/core/neighbour.c:1623 neigh_output include/net/neighbour.h:546 [inline] ip_finish_output2+0x740/0x840 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:228 ip_finish_output+0xf4/0x240 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:316 NF_HOOK_COND include/linux/netfilter.h:291 [inline] ip_output+0xe5/0x1b0 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:430 dst_output include/net/dst.h:444 [inline] ip_local_out+0x64/0x80 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:126 iptunnel_xmit+0x34a/0x4b0 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel_core.c:82 ip_tunnel_xmit+0x1451/0x1730 net/ipv4/ip_tunnel.c:813 __gre_xmit net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:469 [inline] ipgre_xmit+0x516/0x570 net/ipv4/ip_gre.c:661 __netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4881 [inline] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4895 [inline] xmit_one net/core/dev.c:3580 [inline] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x127/0x400 net/core/dev.c:3596 __dev_queue_xmit+0x1007/0x1eb0 net/core/dev.c:4246 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3051 [inline] neigh_direct_output+0x17/0x20 net/core/neighbour.c:1623 neigh_output include/net/neighbour.h:546 [inline] ip_finish_output2+0x740/0x840 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:228 ip_finish_output+0xf4/0x240 net/ipv4/ip_output.c:316 NF_HOOK_COND include/linux/netfilter.h:291 [inline] ip_output+0xe5/0x1b0 net/i ---truncated---
How severe is CVE-2023-53109?
CVE-2023-53109 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-53109 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (6th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-53109?
CVE-2023-53109 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-53109?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2023-53109 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2023-53109 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-13166.
When was CVE-2023-53109 published?
CVE-2023-53109 was published on 2025-05-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

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