CVE-2023-53522

HighCVSS 7.8/10Last modified Jun 17, 2026

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

cgroup,freezer: hold cpu_hotplug_lock before freezer_mutex

syzbot is reporting circular locking dependency between cpu_hotplug_lock and freezer_mutex, for commit f5d39b020809 ("freezer,sched: Rewrite core freezer logic") replaced atomic_inc() in freezer_apply_state() with static_branch_inc() which holds cpu_hotplug_lock.

cpu_hotplug_lock => cgroup_threadgroup_rwsem => freezer_mutex

cgroup_file_write() { cgroup_procs_write() { __cgroup_procs_write() { cgroup_procs_write_start() { cgroup_attach_lock() { cpus_read_lock() { percpu_down_read(&cpu_hotplug_lock); } percpu_down_write(&cgroup_threadgroup_rwsem); } } cgroup_attach_task() { cgroup_migrate() { cgroup_migrate_execute() { freezer_attach() { mutex_lock(&freezer_mutex); (...snipped...) } } } } (...snipped...) } } }

freezer_mutex => cpu_hotplug_lock

cgroup_file_write() { freezer_write() { freezer_change_state() { mutex_lock(&freezer_mutex); freezer_apply_state() { static_branch_inc(&freezer_active) { static_key_slow_inc() { cpus_read_lock(); static_key_slow_inc_cpuslocked(); cpus_read_unlock(); } } } mutex_unlock(&freezer_mutex); } } }

Swap locking order by moving cpus_read_lock() in freezer_apply_state() to before mutex_lock(&freezer_mutex) in freezer_change_state().

Metrics

CVSS 3.1 7.8/10CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected software

No affected versions have been published.

Timeline

Published
Oct 1, 2025
Last modified
Jun 17, 2026
NVD status
Analyzed

Related CVEs from 2023

CVE-2023-535235.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: gs_usb: fix time stamp counter initialization If the gs_usb devicCVE-2023-535247.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: iwlwifi: pcie: Fix integer overflow in iwl_write_to_user_buf An CVE-2023-535255.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/cma: Allow UD qp_type to join multicast only As for multicast: - CVE-2023-535265.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: jbd2: check 'jh->b_transaction' before removing it from checkpoint FolCVE-2023-535275.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: thunderbolt: Fix memory leak in tb_handle_dp_bandwidth_request() The mCVE-2023-535285.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/rxe: Fix unsafe drain work queue code If create_qp does not fullyCVE-2023-535295.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: rtw88: Fix memory leak in rtw88_usb Kmemleak shows the followingCVE-2023-53536.5Improper Access Control in GitHub repository salesagility/suitecrm prior to 7.14.1.CVE-2023-535305.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: scsi: qla2xxx: Use raw_smp_processor_id() instead of smp_processor_id()CVE-2023-535315.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: null_blk: fix poll request timeout handling When doing io_uring benchmCVE-2023-535325.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath11k: fix deinitialization of firmware resources Currently, inCVE-2023-535335.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Input: raspberrypi-ts - fix refcount leak in rpi_ts_probe rpi_firmware
CVE-2023-53522: High severity, CVSS 7.8 | Vulnix