Linux Kernel up to 6.1.15/6.2.2 PTDMA Driver pt_issue_pending null pointer dereference

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability categorized as critical has been discovered in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.15/6.2.2. This impacts the function pt_issue_pending of the component PTDMA Driver. Such manipulation leads to null pointer dereference. This vulnerability is documented as CVE-2023-53755. There is not any exploit available. It is advisable to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.15/6.2.2 and classified as critical. Affected by this issue is the function pt_issue_pending of the component PTDMA Driver. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a null pointer dereference vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to 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. Impacted is availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dmaengine: ptdma: check for null desc before calling pt_cmd_callback Resolves a panic that can occur on AMD systems, typically during host shutdown, after the PTDMA driver had been exercised. The issue was the pt_issue_pending() function is mistakenly assuming that there will be at least one descriptor in the Submitted queue when the function is called. However, it is possible that both the Submitted and Issued queues could be empty, which could result in pt_cmd_callback() being mistakenly called with a NULL pointer. Ref: Bugzilla Bug 216856.

The weakness was released by shutdown. The advisory is available at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2023-53755 since 12/08/2025. Technical details are known, but there is no available exploit.

Upgrading to version 6.1.16 or 6.2.3 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 8ae2113702613207efc05453bc9a3df2b992bf45/5bba023b1241c7af5d40447503a68de282ad5190/928469986171a6f763b34b039427f5667ba3fd50 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-2023-60073) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2756). If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.

Affected

• Google Container-Optimized OS
• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• NetApp FAS
• NetApp AFF
• SUSE openSUSE
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• Microsoft Azure Linux

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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Entryinfo

If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.

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