#VU106205 Improper locking in Linux kernel - CVE-2023-53031


| Updated: 2025-05-11

Vulnerability identifier: #VU106205

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 4.3 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2023-53031

CWE-ID: CWE-667

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
Linux kernel
Operating systems & Components / Operating system

Vendor: Linux Foundation

Description

The vulnerability allows a local user to perform a denial of service (DoS) attack.

The vulnerability exists due to improper locking within the DEFINE_MUTEX(), __MUTEX_INITIALIZER(), ppc_nest_imc_cpu_offline(), nest_imc_counters_release(), nest_imc_event_init(), core_imc_mem_init(), ppc_core_imc_cpu_offline(), core_imc_pmu_cpumask_init(), reset_global_refc(), core_imc_counters_release(), core_imc_event_init(), ppc_thread_imc_cpu_offline(), thread_imc_event_init(), thread_imc_event_add(), thread_imc_event_del(), trace_imc_mem_alloc(), ppc_trace_imc_cpu_offline(), trace_imc_event_add(), trace_imc_event_del(), trace_imc_event_init(), init_nest_pmu_ref(), imc_common_mem_free(), imc_common_cpuhp_mem_free() and init_imc_pmu() functions in arch/powerpc/perf/imc-pmu.c. A local user can perform a denial of service (DoS) attack.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Linux kernel: 5.4, 5.4.0, 5.4.0 rc6, 5.4.1, 5.4.2, 5.4.3, 5.4.4, 5.4.5, 5.4.6, 5.4.7, 5.4.8, 5.4.9, 5.4.10, 5.4.11, 5.4.12, 5.4.13, 5.4.14, 5.4.15, 5.4.16, 5.4.17, 5.4.18, 5.4.19, 5.4.20, 5.4.21, 5.4.22, 5.4.23, 5.4.24, 5.4.25, 5.4.26, 5.4.27, 5.4.28, 5.4.29, 5.4.30, 5.4.31, 5.4.32, 5.4.33, 5.4.34, 5.4.35, 5.4.36, 5.4.37, 5.4.38, 5.4.39, 5.4.40, 5.4.41, 5.4.42, 5.4.43, 5.4.44, 5.4.45, 5.4.46, 5.4.47, 5.4.48, 5.4.49, 5.4.50, 5.4.51, 5.4.52, 5.4.53, 5.4.54, 5.4.55, 5.4.56, 5.4.57, 5.4.58, 5.4.59, 5.4.60, 5.4.61, 5.4.62, 5.4.63, 5.4.64, 5.4.65, 5.4.66, 5.4.67, 5.4.68, 5.4.69, 5.4.70, 5.4.71, 5.4.72, 5.4.73, 5.4.74, 5.4.75, 5.4.76, 5.4.77, 5.4.78, 5.4.79, 5.4.80, 5.4.81, 5.4.82, 5.4.83, 5.4.84, 5.4.85, 5.4.86, 5.4.87, 5.4.88, 5.4.89, 5.4.90, 5.4.91, 5.4.92, 5.4.93, 5.4.94, 5.4.95, 5.4.96, 5.4.97, 5.4.98, 5.4.99, 5.4.100, 5.4.101, 5.4.102, 5.4.103, 5.4.104, 5.4.105, 5.4.106, 5.4.107, 5.4.108, 5.4.109, 5.4.110, 5.4.111, 5.4.112, 5.4.113, 5.4.114, 5.4.115, 5.4.116, 5.4.117, 5.4.118, 5.4.119, 5.4.120, 5.4.121, 5.4.122, 5.4.123, 5.4.124, 5.4.125, 5.4.126, 5.4.127, 5.4.128, 5.4.129, 5.4.130, 5.4.131, 5.4.132, 5.4.133, 5.4.134, 5.4.135, 5.4.136, 5.4.137, 5.4.138, 5.4.139, 5.4.140, 5.4.141, 5.4.142, 5.4.143, 5.4.144, 5.4.145, 5.4.146, 5.4.147, 5.4.148, 5.4.149, 5.4.150, 5.4.151, 5.4.152, 5.4.153, 5.4.154, 5.4.155, 5.4.156, 5.4.157, 5.4.158, 5.4.159, 5.4.160, 5.4.161, 5.4.162, 5.4.163, 5.4.164, 5.4.165, 5.4.166, 5.4.167, 5.4.168, 5.4.169, 5.4.170, 5.4.171, 5.4.172, 5.4.173, 5.4.174, 5.4.175, 5.4.176, 5.4.177, 5.4.178, 5.4.179, 5.4.180, 5.4.181, 5.4.182, 5.4.183, 5.4.184, 5.4.185, 5.4.186, 5.4.187, 5.4.188, 5.4.189, 5.4.190, 5.4.191, 5.4.192, 5.4.193, 5.4.194, 5.4.195, 5.4.196, 5.4.197, 5.4.198, 5.4.199, 5.4.200, 5.4.201, 5.4.202, 5.4.203, 5.4.204, 5.4.205, 5.4.206, 5.4.207, 5.4.208, 5.4.209, 5.4.210, 5.4.211, 5.4.212, 5.4.213, 5.4.214, 5.4.215, 5.4.216, 5.4.217, 5.4.218, 5.4.219, 5.4.220, 5.4.221, 5.4.222, 5.4.223, 5.4.224, 5.4.225, 5.4.226, 5.4.227, 5.4.228


External links
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/424bcb570cb320d1d15238cd4c933522b90f78fa
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/76d588dddc459fefa1da96e0a081a397c5c8e216
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8cbeb60320ac45a8240b561c8ef466b86c34dedc
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a90d339f1f66be4a946769b565668e2bd0686dfa
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d0c6d2a31026102d4738b47a610bed4401b9834f
https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/ChangeLog-5.4.229


Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.


Latest bulletins with this vulnerability