Linux Kernel up to 5.10.194/5.15.131/6.1.53/6.5.3 smc_lgr_list null pointer dereference

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability identified as critical has been detected in Linux Kernel up to 5.10.194/5.15.131/6.1.53/6.5.3. Affected is the function smc_lgr_list. Performing a manipulation results in null pointer dereference. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2023-54318. No exploit is available. You should upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 5.10.194/5.15.131/6.1.53/6.5.3. It has been classified as critical. This affects the function smc_lgr_list. 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. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/smc: use smc_lgr_list.lock to protect smc_lgr_list.list iterate in smcr_port_add While doing smcr_port_add, there maybe linkgroup add into or delete from smc_lgr_list.list at the same time, which may result kernel crash. So, use smc_lgr_list.lock to protect smc_lgr_list.list iterate in smcr_port_add. The crash calltrace show below: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000 PGD 0 P4D 0 Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI CPU: 0 PID: 559726 Comm: kworker/0:92 Kdump: loaded Tainted: G Hardware name: Alibaba Cloud Alibaba Cloud ECS, BIOS 449e491 04/01/2014 Workqueue: events smc_ib_port_event_work [smc] RIP: 0010:smcr_port_add+0xa6/0xf0 [smc] RSP: 0000:ffffa5a2c8f67de0 EFLAGS: 00010297 RAX: 0000000000000001 RBX: ffff9935e0650000 RCX: 0000000000000000 RDX: 0000000000000010 RSI: ffff9935e0654290 RDI: ffff9935c8560000 RBP: 0000000000000000 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: ffff9934c0401918 R10: 0000000000000000 R11: ffffffffb4a5c278 R12: ffff99364029aae4 R13: ffff99364029aa00 R14: 00000000ffffffed R15: ffff99364029ab08 FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff994380600000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 0000000000000000 CR3: 0000000f06a10003 CR4: 0000000002770ef0 PKRU: 55555554 Call Trace: smc_ib_port_event_work+0x18f/0x380 [smc] process_one_work+0x19b/0x340 worker_thread+0x30/0x370 ? process_one_work+0x340/0x340 kthread+0x114/0x130 ? __kthread_cancel_work+0x50/0x50 ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2023-54318 since 12/30/2025. The exploitability is told to be difficult. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 280817 (Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2023-54318), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 5.10.195, 5.15.132, 6.1.54 or 6.5.4 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch d1c6c93c27a4bf48006ab16cd9b38d85559d7645/06b4934ab2b534bb92935c7601852066ebb9eab8/70c8d17007dc4a07156b7da44509527990e569b3/b717463610a27fc0b58484cfead7a623d5913e61/f5146e3ef0a9eea405874b36178c19a4863b8989 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 (280817) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2941). Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

Affected

• Open Source Linux Kernel

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 5.10.194
• 5.15.131
• 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
• 6.1.29
• 6.1.30
• 6.1.31
• 6.1.32
• 6.1.33
• 6.1.34
• 6.1.35
• 6.1.36
• 6.1.37
• 6.1.38
• 6.1.39
• 6.1.40
• 6.1.41
• 6.1.42
• 6.1.43
• 6.1.44
• 6.1.45
• 6.1.46
• 6.1.47
• 6.1.48
• 6.1.49
• 6.1.50
• 6.1.51
• 6.1.52
• 6.1.53
• 6.5.0
• 6.5.1
• 6.5.2
• 6.5.3

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

Countermeasuresinfo

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

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