VDB-323940 · CVE-2023-53167 · Nessus 278484

Linux Kernel up to 6.4.4 error_log tracing_err_log_open null pointer dereference

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5.0	$0-$5k	0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability categorized as critical has been discovered in Linux Kernel up to 5.4.250/5.10.187/5.15.120/6.1.39/6.4.4. Affected by this issue is the function tracing_err_log_open of the file /sys/kernel/tracing/error_log. The manipulation results in null pointer dereference. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2023-53167. No exploit is available. It is advisable to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, was found in Linux Kernel up to 5.4.250/5.10.187/5.15.120/6.1.39/6.4.4. Affected is the function tracing_err_log_open of the file /sys/kernel/tracing/error_log. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a null pointer dereference vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-476. A NULL pointer dereference occurs when the application dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid, but is NULL, typically causing a crash or exit. This is going to have an impact on availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Fix null pointer dereference in tracing_err_log_open() Fix an issue in function 'tracing_err_log_open'. The function doesn't call 'seq_open' if the file is opened only with write permissions, which results in 'file->private_data' being left as null. If we then use 'lseek' on that opened file, 'seq_lseek' dereferences 'file->private_data' in 'mutex_lock(&m->lock)', resulting in a kernel panic. Writing to this node requires root privileges, therefore this bug has very little security impact. Tracefs node: /sys/kernel/tracing/error_log Example Kernel panic: Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000038 Call trace: mutex_lock+0x30/0x110 seq_lseek+0x34/0xb8 __arm64_sys_lseek+0x6c/0xb8 invoke_syscall+0x58/0x13c el0_svc_common+0xc4/0x10c do_el0_svc+0x24/0x98 el0_svc+0x24/0x88 el0t_64_sync_handler+0x84/0xe4 el0t_64_sync+0x1b4/0x1b8 Code: d503201f aa0803e0 aa1f03e1 aa0103e9 (c8e97d02) ---[ end trace 561d1b49c12cf8a5 ]--- Kernel panic - not syncing: Oops: Fatal exception

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is traded as CVE-2023-53167 since 09/15/2025. The exploitability is told to be difficult. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 278484 (EulerOS 2.0 SP13 : kernel (EulerOS-SA-2025-2501)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 5.4.251, 5.10.188, 5.15.121, 6.1.40 or 6.4.5 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 93114cbc7cb169f6f26eeaed5286b91bb86b463b/7060e5aac6dc195124c106f49106d653a416323a/3b5d9b7b875968a8a8c99dac45cb85b705c44802/938d5b7a75e18264887387ddf9169db6d8aeef98/1e1c9aa9288a46c342f0f2c5c0b1c0876b9b0276 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at Tenable (278484) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2053). Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

Affected

Debian Linux
Amazon Linux 2
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Ubuntu Linux
SUSE Linux
Oracle Linux
IBM QRadar SIEM
SUSE openSUSE
Open Source Linux Kernel
RESF Rocky Linux
Dell Secure Connect Gateway
F5 F5OS

Productinfo

Type

Operating System

Vendor

Linux

Name

Kernel

Version

License

open-source

Website

Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 5.1
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 5.0

VulDB Base Score: 4.8
VulDB Temp Score: 4.6
VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

NVD Base Score: 5.5
NVD Vector: 🔒

CVSSv2info

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Vector	Complexity	Authentication	Confidentiality	Integrity	Availability
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VulDB Base Score: 🔒
VulDB Temp Score: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Null pointer dereference
CWE: CWE-476 / CWE-404
CAPEC: 🔒
ATT&CK: 🔒

Physical: Partially
Local: Yes
Remote: Partially

Availability: 🔒
Status: Not defined

EPSS Score: 🔒
EPSS Percentile: 🔒

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔒