Linux Kernel up to 6.1.15/6.2.2 hung_task_timeout_secs SRCU_SIZE_SMALL state issue

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.15/6.2.2. Affected by this vulnerability is the function SRCU_SIZE_SMALL of the file /proc/sys/kernel/hung_task_timeout_secs. Performing a manipulation results in state issue. This vulnerability is cataloged as CVE-2023-53671. There is no exploit available. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.15/6.2.2. This affects the function SRCU_SIZE_SMALL of the file /proc/sys/kernel/hung_task_timeout_secs. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a state issue vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-371. The impact remains unknown. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: srcu: Delegate work to the boot cpu if using SRCU_SIZE_SMALL Commit 994f706872e6 ("srcu: Make Tree SRCU able to operate without snp_node array") assumes that cpu 0 is always online. However, there really are situations when some other CPU is the boot CPU, for example, when booting a kdump kernel with the maxcpus=1 boot parameter. On PowerPC, the kdump kernel can hang as follows: ... [ 1.740036] systemd[1]: Hostname set to <xyz.com> [ 243.686240] INFO: task systemd:1 blocked for more than 122 seconds. [ 243.686264] Not tainted 6.1.0-rc1 #1 [ 243.686272] "echo 0 > /proc/sys/kernel/hung_task_timeout_secs" disables this message. [ 243.686281] task:systemd state:D stack:0 pid:1 ppid:0 flags:0x00042000 [ 243.686296] Call Trace: [ 243.686301] [c000000016657640] [c000000016657670] 0xc000000016657670 (unreliable) [ 243.686317] [c000000016657830] [c00000001001dec0] __switch_to+0x130/0x220 [ 243.686333] [c000000016657890] [c000000010f607b8] __schedule+0x1f8/0x580 [ 243.686347] [c000000016657940] [c000000010f60bb4] schedule+0x74/0x140 [ 243.686361] [c0000000166579b0] [c000000010f699b8] schedule_timeout+0x168/0x1c0 [ 243.686374] [c000000016657a80] [c000000010f61de8] __wait_for_common+0x148/0x360 [ 243.686387] [c000000016657b20] [c000000010176bb0] __flush_work.isra.0+0x1c0/0x3d0 [ 243.686401] [c000000016657bb0] [c0000000105f2768] fsnotify_wait_marks_destroyed+0x28/0x40 [ 243.686415] [c000000016657bd0] [c0000000105f21b8] fsnotify_destroy_group+0x68/0x160 [ 243.686428] [c000000016657c40] [c0000000105f6500] inotify_release+0x30/0xa0 [ 243.686440] [c000000016657cb0] [c0000000105751a8] __fput+0xc8/0x350 [ 243.686452] [c000000016657d00] [c00000001017d524] task_work_run+0xe4/0x170 [ 243.686464] [c000000016657d50] [c000000010020e94] do_notify_resume+0x134/0x140 [ 243.686478] [c000000016657d80] [c00000001002eb18] interrupt_exit_user_prepare_main+0x198/0x270 [ 243.686493] [c000000016657de0] [c00000001002ec60] syscall_exit_prepare+0x70/0x180 [ 243.686505] [c000000016657e10] [c00000001000bf7c] system_call_vectored_common+0xfc/0x280 [ 243.686520] --- interrupt: 3000 at 0x7fffa47d5ba4 [ 243.686528] NIP: 00007fffa47d5ba4 LR: 0000000000000000 CTR: 0000000000000000 [ 243.686538] REGS: c000000016657e80 TRAP: 3000 Not tainted (6.1.0-rc1) [ 243.686548] MSR: 800000000000d033 <SF,EE,PR,ME,IR,DR,RI,LE> CR: 42044440 XER: 00000000 [ 243.686572] IRQMASK: 0 [ 243.686572] GPR00: 0000000000000006 00007ffffa606710 00007fffa48e7200 0000000000000000 [ 243.686572] GPR04: 0000000000000002 000000000000000a 0000000000000000 0000000000000001 [ 243.686572] GPR08: 000001000c172dd0 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 [ 243.686572] GPR12: 0000000000000000 00007fffa4ff4bc0 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 [ 243.686572] GPR16: 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 [ 243.686572] GPR20: 0000000132dfdc50 000000000000000e 0000000000189375 0000000000000000 [ 243.686572] GPR24: 00007ffffa606ae0 0000000000000005 000001000c185490 000001000c172570 [ 243.686572] GPR28: 000001000c172990 000001000c184850 000001000c172e00 00007fffa4fedd98 [ 243.686683] NIP [00007fffa47d5ba4] 0x7fffa47d5ba4 [ 243.686691] LR [0000000000000000] 0x0 [ 243.686698] --- interrupt: 3000 [ 243.686708] INFO: task kworker/u16:1:24 blocked for more than 122 seconds. [ 243.686717] Not tainted 6.1.0-rc1 #1 [ 243.686724] "echo 0 > /proc/sys/kernel/hung_task_timeout_secs" disables this message. [ 243.686733] task:kworker/u16:1 state:D stack:0 pid:24 ppid:2 flags:0x00000800 [ 243.686747] Workqueue: events_unbound fsnotify_mark_destroy_workfn [ 243.686758] Call Trace: [ 243.686762] [c0000000166736e0] [c00000004fd91000] 0xc00000004fd91000 (unreliable) [ 243.686775] [c0000000166738d0] [c00000001001dec0] __switch_to+0x130/0x220 [ 243.686788] [c000000016673930] [c000000010f607b8] __schedule+0x1f8/0x ---truncated---

It is possible to read the advisory at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2023-53671 since 10/07/2025. The exploitability is told to be difficult. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit. The pricing for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 03/01/2026).

Upgrading to version 6.1.16 or 6.2.3 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 2c4d26dad76eadaa45a24543e311e9ce5d09f04e/c7c0bc03fa44942fe0fdc5ac52cda6e11529c0ea/7f24626d6dd844bfc6d1f492d214d29c86d02550 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-2025-31961) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2229). Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.

Affected

• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• 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
• 6.2.0
• 6.2.1
• 6.2.2

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

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.

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