CVE-2023-53623
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-10-07
Last updated on: 2026-02-05
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.2 (inc) to 6.2.11 (inc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.3 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 5.10 |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-362 | The product contains a concurrent code sequence that requires temporary, exclusive access to a shared resource, but a timing window exists in which the shared resource can be modified by another code sequence operating concurrently. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a race condition in the Linux kernel's memory management subsystem related to swap operations. Specifically, it occurs between the swapoff process and the get_swap_pages() function. The issue arises because the lock protecting the swap_info_struct (si->lock) is not held when deleting the si from the available swap list. This allows another thread to re-add the si to the list concurrently, leading to potential memory corruption. In some cases, this can cause massive warning messages or even kernel panic due to corrupted memory structures when swapoff and swapon operations are performed concurrently.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can lead to memory corruption in the Linux kernel, which may cause system instability, crashes, or kernel panics. If exploited or triggered by concurrent swapoff and swapon operations, it can disrupt normal system operation, potentially causing data loss or downtime. Systems performing heavy memory management operations or stress testing swap functionality are particularly at risk.
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by monitoring for massive warning messages triggered inside get_swap_pages(), especially when running concurrent madvise(MADV_PAGEOUT) calls and swapon-swapoff operations (e.g., using stress-ng-swap). Look for kernel warning messages or panics related to plist_check_prev_next_node or swapoff in system logs (e.g., dmesg). Specific commands to observe these symptoms include: 1) dmesg | grep plist_check_prev_next_node 2) dmesg | grep swapoff 3) Running stress-ng with swap stress tests to reproduce the issue.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
Immediate mitigation involves ensuring that the Linux kernel is updated to a version where this race condition in swapoff and get_swap_pages() is fixed (post stable 5.10.y). Until then, avoid running concurrent swapoff and madvise(MADV_PAGEOUT) operations that could trigger the race condition. Monitoring system logs for warning messages and panics related to swapoff can help in early detection.