CVE-2023-53250

CVE-2023-53250 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. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-476.

Key facts

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: firmware: dmi-sysfs: Fix null-ptr-deref in dmi_sysfs_register_handle KASAN reported a null-ptr-deref error: KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000008-0x000000000000000f] CPU: 0 PID: 1373 Comm: modprobe Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996) RIP: 0010:dmi_sysfs_entry_release ... Call Trace: <TASK> kobject_put dmi_sysfs_register_handle (drivers/firmware/dmi-sysfs.c:540) dmi_sysfs dmi_decode_table (drivers/firmware/dmi_scan.c:133) dmi_walk (drivers/firmware/dmi_scan.c:1115) dmi_sysfs_init (drivers/firmware/dmi-sysfs.c:149) dmi_sysfs do_one_initcall (init/main.c:1296) ... Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception Kernel Offset: 0x4000000 from 0xffffffff81000000 ---[ end Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception ]--- It is because previous patch added kobject_put() to release the memory which will call dmi_sysfs_entry_release() and list_del(). However, list_add_tail(entry->list) is called after the error block, so the list_head is uninitialized and cannot be deleted. Move error handling to after list_add_tail to fix this.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-53250?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: firmware: dmi-sysfs: Fix null-ptr-deref in dmi_sysfs_register_handle KASAN reported a null-ptr-deref error: KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000008-0x000000000000000f] CPU: 0 PID: 1373 Comm: modprobe Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996) RIP: 0010:dmi_sysfs_entry_release ... Call Trace: <TASK> kobject_put dmi_sysfs_register_handle (drivers/firmware/dmi-sysfs.c:540) dmi_sysfs dmi_decode_table (drivers/firmware/dmi_scan.c:133) dmi_walk (drivers/firmware/dmi_scan.c:1115) dmi_sysfs_init (drivers/firmware/dmi-sysfs.c:149) dmi_sysfs do_one_initcall (init/main.c:1296) ... Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception Kernel Offset: 0x4000000 from 0xffffffff81000000 ---[ end Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception ]--- It is because previous patch added kobject_put() to release the memory which will call dmi_sysfs_entry_release() and list_del(). However, list_add_tail(entry->list) is called after the error block, so the list_head is uninitialized and cannot be deleted. Move error handling to after list_add_tail to fix this.
How severe is CVE-2023-53250?
CVE-2023-53250 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-2023-53250 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (3rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-53250?
CVE-2023-53250 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-53250?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2023-53250 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2023-53250 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-59834.
When was CVE-2023-53250 published?
CVE-2023-53250 was published on 2025-09-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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