Linux Kernel up to 6.4.10 mlx5e xdp_set_features assertion

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.4.10. Affected by this issue is the function xdp_set_features of the component mlx5e. Executing a manipulation can lead to assertion. This vulnerability is registered as CVE-2023-53632. No exploit is available. Upgrading the affected component is advised.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.4.10 and classified as critical. This vulnerability affects the function xdp_set_features of the component mlx5e. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a assertion vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-617. The product contains an assert() or similar statement that can be triggered by an attacker, which leads to an application exit or other behavior that is more severe than necessary. As an impact it is known to affect availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5e: Take RTNL lock when needed before calling xdp_set_features() Hold RTNL lock when calling xdp_set_features() with a registered netdev, as the call triggers the netdev notifiers. This could happen when switching from uplink rep to nic profile for example. This resolves the following call trace: RTNL: assertion failed at net/core/dev.c (1953) WARNING: CPU: 6 PID: 112670 at net/core/dev.c:1953 call_netdevice_notifiers_info+0x7c/0x80 Modules linked in: sch_mqprio sch_mqprio_lib act_tunnel_key act_mirred act_skbedit cls_matchall nfnetlink_cttimeout act_gact cls_flower sch_ingress bonding ib_umad ip_gre rdma_ucm mlx5_vfio_pci ipip tunnel4 ip6_gre gre mlx5_ib vfio_pci vfio_pci_core vfio_iommu_type1 ib_uverbs vfio mlx5_core ib_ipoib geneve nf_tables ip6_tunnel tunnel6 iptable_raw openvswitch nsh rpcrdma ib_iser libiscsi scsi_transport_iscsi rdma_cm iw_cm ib_cm ib_core xt_conntrack xt_MASQUERADE nf_conntrack_netlink nfnetlink xt_addrtype iptable_nat nf_nat br_netfilter rpcsec_gss_krb5 auth_rpcgss oid_registry overlay zram zsmalloc fuse [last unloaded: ib_uverbs] CPU: 6 PID: 112670 Comm: devlink Not tainted 6.4.0-rc7_for_upstream_min_debug_2023_06_28_17_02 #1 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS rel-1.13.0-0-gf21b5a4aeb02-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:call_netdevice_notifiers_info+0x7c/0x80 Code: 90 ff 80 3d 2d 6b f7 00 00 75 c5 ba a1 07 00 00 48 c7 c6 e4 ce 0b 82 48 c7 c7 c8 f4 04 82 c6 05 11 6b f7 00 01 e8 a4 7c 8e ff <0f> 0b eb a2 0f 1f 44 00 00 55 48 89 e5 41 54 48 83 e4 f0 48 83 ec RSP: 0018:ffff8882a21c3948 EFLAGS: 00010282 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffffffff82e6f880 RCX: 0000000000000027 RDX: ffff88885f99b5c8 RSI: 0000000000000001 RDI: ffff88885f99b5c0 RBP: 0000000000000028 R08: ffff88887ffabaa8 R09: 0000000000000003 R10: ffff88887fecbac0 R11: ffff88887ff7bac0 R12: ffff8882a21c3968 R13: ffff88811c018940 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: ffff8881274401a0 FS: 00007fe141c81800(0000) GS:ffff88885f980000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 00007f787c28b948 CR3: 000000014bcf3005 CR4: 0000000000370ea0 DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000 DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400 Call Trace: <TASK> ? __warn+0x79/0x120 ? call_netdevice_notifiers_info+0x7c/0x80 ? report_bug+0x17c/0x190 ? handle_bug+0x3c/0x60 ? exc_invalid_op+0x14/0x70 ? asm_exc_invalid_op+0x16/0x20 ? call_netdevice_notifiers_info+0x7c/0x80 ? call_netdevice_notifiers_info+0x7c/0x80 call_netdevice_notifiers+0x2e/0x50 mlx5e_set_xdp_feature+0x21/0x50 [mlx5_core] mlx5e_nic_init+0xf1/0x1a0 [mlx5_core] mlx5e_netdev_init_profile+0x76/0x110 [mlx5_core] mlx5e_netdev_attach_profile+0x1f/0x90 [mlx5_core] mlx5e_netdev_change_profile+0x92/0x160 [mlx5_core] mlx5e_netdev_attach_nic_profile+0x1b/0x30 [mlx5_core] mlx5e_vport_rep_unload+0xaa/0xc0 [mlx5_core] __esw_offloads_unload_rep+0x52/0x60 [mlx5_core] mlx5_esw_offloads_rep_unload+0x52/0x70 [mlx5_core] esw_offloads_unload_rep+0x34/0x70 [mlx5_core] esw_offloads_disable+0x2b/0x90 [mlx5_core] mlx5_eswitch_disable_locked+0x1b9/0x210 [mlx5_core] mlx5_devlink_eswitch_mode_set+0xf5/0x630 [mlx5_core] ? devlink_get_from_attrs_lock+0x9e/0x110 devlink_nl_cmd_eswitch_set_doit+0x60/0xe0 genl_family_rcv_msg_doit.isra.0+0xc2/0x110 genl_rcv_msg+0x17d/0x2b0 ? devlink_get_from_attrs_lock+0x110/0x110 ? devlink_nl_cmd_eswitch_get_doit+0x290/0x290 ? devlink_pernet_pre_exit+0xf0/0xf0 ? genl_family_rcv_msg_doit.isra.0+0x110/0x110 netlink_rcv_skb+0x54/0x100 genl_rcv+0x24/0x40 netlink_unicast+0x1f6/0x2c0 netlink_sendmsg+0x232/0x4a0 sock_sendmsg+0x38/0x60 ? _copy_from_user+0x2a/0x60 __sys_sendto+0x110/0x160 ? __count_memcg_events+0x48/0x90 ? handle_mm_fault+0x161/0x260 ? do_user_addr_fault+0x278/0x6e0 __x64_sys_sendto+0x20/0x30 do_syscall_64+0x3d/0x90 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0 RIP: 0033 ---truncated---

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability was named CVE-2023-53632 since 10/07/2025. The exploitation appears to be difficult. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available.

Upgrading to version 6.4.11 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 16b7775ae4389dd1e885732ea610321c64284e5f/72cc654970658e88a1cdea08f06b11c218efa4da 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 vulnerability database at CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2229). Once again VulDB remains the best source 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

• 6.4.0
• 6.4.1
• 6.4.2
• 6.4.3
• 6.4.4
• 6.4.5
• 6.4.6
• 6.4.7
• 6.4.8
• 6.4.9
• 6.4.10

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

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Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

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