CVE-2023-53531

MediumCVSS 5.5/10Last modified Aug 4, 2026

Description

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

null_blk: fix poll request timeout handling

When doing io_uring benchmark on /dev/nullb0, it's easy to crash the kernel if poll requests timeout triggered, as reported by David. [1]

BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000008 Workqueue: kblockd blk_mq_timeout_work RIP: 0010:null_timeout_rq+0x4e/0x91 Call Trace: ? null_timeout_rq+0x4e/0x91 blk_mq_handle_expired+0x31/0x4b bt_iter+0x68/0x84 ? bt_tags_iter+0x81/0x81 __sbitmap_for_each_set.constprop.0+0xb0/0xf2 ? __blk_mq_complete_request_remote+0xf/0xf bt_for_each+0x46/0x64 ? __blk_mq_complete_request_remote+0xf/0xf ? percpu_ref_get_many+0xc/0x2a blk_mq_queue_tag_busy_iter+0x14d/0x18e blk_mq_timeout_work+0x95/0x127 process_one_work+0x185/0x263 worker_thread+0x1b5/0x227

This is indeed a race problem between null_timeout_rq() and null_poll().

null_poll() null_timeout_rq() spin_lock(&nq->poll_lock) list_splice_init(&nq->poll_list, &list) spin_unlock(&nq->poll_lock)

while (!list_empty(&list)) req = list_first_entry() list_del_init() ... blk_mq_add_to_batch() // req->rq_next = NULL spin_lock(&nq->poll_lock)

// rq->queuelist->next == NULL list_del_init(&rq->queuelist)

spin_unlock(&nq->poll_lock)

Fix these problems by setting requests state to MQ_RQ_COMPLETE under nq->poll_lock protection, in which null_timeout_rq() can safely detect this race and early return.

Note this patch just fix the kernel panic when request timeout happen.

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/3893581.1691785261@warthog.procyon.org.uk/

Metrics

CVSS 3.1 5.5/10CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness enumeration

Affected software

No affected versions have been published.

Timeline

Published
Oct 1, 2025
Last modified
Aug 4, 2026
NVD status
Modified

Related CVEs from 2023

CVE-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_firmwareCVE-2023-535345.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/mediatek: mtk_drm_crtc: Add checks for devm_kcalloc As the devm_kcCVE-2023-535355.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: bcmgenet: Add a check for oversized packets Occasionnaly we may gCVE-2023-535367.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: blk-crypto: make blk_crypto_evict_key() more robust If blk_crypto_evicCVE-2023-535377.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: f2fs: fix to avoid use-after-free for cached IPU bio xfstest generic/0CVE-2023-535385.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: insert tree mod log move in push_node_left There is a fairly unCVE-2023-535395.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/rxe: Fix incomplete state save in rxe_requester If a send packet CVE-2023-53546.1The Awesome Support WordPress plugin before 6.1.5 does not sanitise and escape a parameter before outputting it back in the page, leading toCVE-2023-535405.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: cfg80211: reject auth/assoc to AP with our address If the AP useCVE-2023-535417.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mtd: rawnand: brcmnand: Fix potential out-of-bounds access in oob writeCVE-2023-535425.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ARM: dts: exynos: Use Exynos5420 compatible for the MIPI video phy For
CVE-2023-53531: Medium severity, CVSS 5.5 | Vulnix