Linux Kernel up to 6.1.28/6.2.15/6.3.2 cn10k_mdo_del_secy null pointer dereference

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability labeled as critical has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.28/6.2.15/6.3.2. This affects the function cn10k_mdo_del_secy. Executing a manipulation can lead to null pointer dereference. This vulnerability appears as CVE-2023-53595. There is no available exploit. The affected component should be upgraded.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.28/6.2.15/6.3.2. It has been declared as critical. This vulnerability affects the function cn10k_mdo_del_secy. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a null pointer dereference vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is 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. As an impact it is known to affect availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: octeontx2-pf: mcs: Fix NULL pointer dereferences When system is rebooted after creating macsec interface below NULL pointer dereference crashes occurred. This patch fixes those crashes by using correct order of teardown [ 3324.406942] Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000000 [ 3324.415726] Mem abort info: [ 3324.418510] ESR = 0x96000006 [ 3324.421557] EC = 0x25: DABT (current EL), IL = 32 bits [ 3324.426865] SET = 0, FnV = 0 [ 3324.429913] EA = 0, S1PTW = 0 [ 3324.433047] Data abort info: [ 3324.435921] ISV = 0, ISS = 0x00000006 [ 3324.439748] CM = 0, WnR = 0 .... [ 3324.575915] Call trace: [ 3324.578353] cn10k_mdo_del_secy+0x24/0x180 [ 3324.582440] macsec_common_dellink+0xec/0x120 [ 3324.586788] macsec_notify+0x17c/0x1c0 [ 3324.590529] raw_notifier_call_chain+0x50/0x70 [ 3324.594965] call_netdevice_notifiers_info+0x34/0x7c [ 3324.599921] rollback_registered_many+0x354/0x5bc [ 3324.604616] unregister_netdevice_queue+0x88/0x10c [ 3324.609399] unregister_netdev+0x20/0x30 [ 3324.613313] otx2_remove+0x8c/0x310 [ 3324.616794] pci_device_shutdown+0x30/0x70 [ 3324.620882] device_shutdown+0x11c/0x204 [ 966.664930] Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000000 [ 966.673712] Mem abort info: [ 966.676497] ESR = 0x96000006 [ 966.679543] EC = 0x25: DABT (current EL), IL = 32 bits [ 966.684848] SET = 0, FnV = 0 [ 966.687895] EA = 0, S1PTW = 0 [ 966.691028] Data abort info: [ 966.693900] ISV = 0, ISS = 0x00000006 [ 966.697729] CM = 0, WnR = 0 [ 966.833467] Call trace: [ 966.835904] cn10k_mdo_stop+0x20/0xa0 [ 966.839557] macsec_dev_stop+0xe8/0x11c [ 966.843384] __dev_close_many+0xbc/0x140 [ 966.847298] dev_close_many+0x84/0x120 [ 966.851039] rollback_registered_many+0x114/0x5bc [ 966.855735] unregister_netdevice_many.part.0+0x14/0xa0 [ 966.860952] unregister_netdevice_many+0x18/0x24 [ 966.865560] macsec_notify+0x1ac/0x1c0 [ 966.869303] raw_notifier_call_chain+0x50/0x70 [ 966.873738] call_netdevice_notifiers_info+0x34/0x7c [ 966.878694] rollback_registered_many+0x354/0x5bc [ 966.883390] unregister_netdevice_queue+0x88/0x10c [ 966.888173] unregister_netdev+0x20/0x30 [ 966.892090] otx2_remove+0x8c/0x310 [ 966.895571] pci_device_shutdown+0x30/0x70 [ 966.899660] device_shutdown+0x11c/0x204 [ 966.903574] __do_sys_reboot+0x208/0x290 [ 966.907487] __arm64_sys_reboot+0x20/0x30 [ 966.911489] el0_svc_handler+0x80/0x1c0 [ 966.915316] el0_svc+0x8/0x180 [ 966.918362] Code: f9400000 f9400a64 91220014 f94b3403 (f9400060) [ 966.924448] ---[ end trace 341778e799c3d8d7 ]---

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability was named CVE-2023-53595 since 10/04/2025. The exploitation appears to be difficult. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available.

Upgrading to version 6.1.29, 6.2.16 or 6.3.3 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch a3dcc45eca017fca82ac47dbde6f41af960657e5/1152c0f947b76e7731e039185cbd00fdb4389f00/13ff119b17e5e2916435ce01a0156c8698ad9e16/699af748c61574125d269db260dabbe20436d74e 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 EUVD (EUVD-2023-60013) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2194). Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

Affected

• Google Container-Optimized OS
• Debian Linux
• Google Cloud Platform
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• SUSE openSUSE
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• RESF Rocky Linux
• NetApp ActiveIQ Unified Manager
• IBM QRadar SIEM
• Dell NetWorker

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.1.0
• 6.1.1
• 6.1.2
• 6.1.3
• 6.1.4
• 6.1.5
• 6.1.6
• 6.1.7
• 6.1.8
• 6.1.9
• 6.1.10
• 6.1.11
• 6.1.12
• 6.1.13
• 6.1.14
• 6.1.15
• 6.1.16
• 6.1.17
• 6.1.18
• 6.1.19
• 6.1.20
• 6.1.21
• 6.1.22
• 6.1.23
• 6.1.24
• 6.1.25
• 6.1.26
• 6.1.27
• 6.1.28
• 6.2.0
• 6.2.1
• 6.2.2
• 6.2.3
• 6.2.4
• 6.2.5
• 6.2.6
• 6.2.7
• 6.2.8
• 6.2.9
• 6.2.10
• 6.2.11
• 6.2.12
• 6.2.13
• 6.2.14
• 6.2.15
• 6.3.0
• 6.3.1
• 6.3.2

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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CVSSv4info

CVSSv3info

CVSSv2info

Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

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Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

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