CVE-2023-53698 Details
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xsk: fix refcount underflow in error path Fix a refcount underflow problem reported by syzbot that can happen when a system is running out of memory. If xp_alloc_tx_descs() fails, and it can only fail due to not having enough memory, then the error path is triggered. In this error path, the refcount of the pool is decremented as it has incremented before. However, the reference to the pool in the socket was not nulled. This means that when the socket is closed later, the socket teardown logic will think that there is a pool attached to the socket and try to decrease the refcount again, leading to a refcount underflow. I chose this fix as it involved adding just a single line. Another option would have been to move xp_get_pool() and the assignment of xs->pool to after the if-statement and using xs_umem->pool instead of xs->pool in the whole if-statement resulting in somewhat simpler code, but this would have led to much more churn in the code base perhaps making it harder to backport.
A refcount underflow vulnerability has been identified in the Linux kernel's XSK (eXpress Data Path sockets) component. This issue arises when the system runs out of memory, causing the function responsible for allocating transmission descriptors to fail. In the error handling path, the reference count of the memory pool is decremented, but the socket's reference to the pool is not cleared. As a result, when the socket is later closed, the teardown process mistakenly believes a pool is still attached and attempts to decrement the reference count again, leading to an underflow.
Users can upgrade to the latest version of the Linux kernel where this vulnerability has been fixed. Instructions for downloading the patched version are available on the official Linux kernel website.
Metrics
CVSS 4.0 Severity and Vector Strings:
CVSS 3.x Severity and Vector Strings:
No data available for CVSS Version 2.0 on this CVE.
Volerion
Assessed Oct 22, 2025References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
By selecting these links, you will be leaving this site. These are references gathered from the official CVE record and are not endorsed by Volerion.
| URL | Source(s) | Tag(s) |
|---|---|---|
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/15b453cf7348973217558235b9ece2ee5fea6777 | kernel.org | Source CodeVendor |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3e7722c31d4167eb7f3ffd35aba52cab69b79072 | kernel.org | Source CodeVendor |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/789fcd94c9cac133dd4d96e193188661aca9f6c3 | kernel.org | Source CodeVendor |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/85c2c79a07302fe68a1ad5cc449458cc559e314d | kernel.org | Source CodeVendor |
Weakness Enumeration
No weakness enumeration is available for this CVE.
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| Linux kernel | All versions |
CPE
Remediation
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Change History
3 change records found show changes
| Date | Action | Recorded By |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 4, 2026 | CVE Modified | kernel.org |
| Jun 17, 2026 | CVE Modified | kernel.org |
| Oct 22, 2025 | New CVE Received | kernel.org |
Volerion