Linux Kernel up to 5.15.120/6.1.39/6.4.4 kvm_mips_commpage_init null pointer dereference

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical has been found in Linux Kernel up to 5.15.120/6.1.39/6.4.4. Affected by this issue is the function kvm_mips_commpage_init. This manipulation causes null pointer dereference. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2023-54241. There is not any exploit available. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 5.15.120/6.1.39/6.4.4. It has been declared as critical. Affected by this vulnerability is the function kvm_mips_commpage_init. 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. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: MIPS: KVM: Fix NULL pointer dereference After commit 45c7e8af4a5e3f0bea4ac209 ("MIPS: Remove KVM_TE support") we get a NULL pointer dereference when creating a KVM guest: [ 146.243409] Starting KVM with MIPS VZ extensions [ 149.849151] CPU 3 Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address 0000000000000300, epc == ffffffffc06356ec, ra == ffffffffc063568c [ 149.849177] Oops[#1]: [ 149.849182] CPU: 3 PID: 2265 Comm: qemu-system-mip Not tainted 6.4.0-rc3+ #1671 [ 149.849188] Hardware name: THTF CX TL630 Series/THTF-LS3A4000-7A1000-ML4A, BIOS KL4.1F.TF.D.166.201225.R 12/25/2020 [ 149.849192] $ 0 : 0000000000000000 000000007400cce0 0000000000400004 ffffffff8119c740 [ 149.849209] $ 4 : 000000007400cce1 000000007400cce1 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 [ 149.849221] $ 8 : 000000240058bb36 ffffffff81421ac0 0000000000000000 0000000000400dc0 [ 149.849233] $12 : 9800000102a07cc8 ffffffff80e40e38 0000000000000001 0000000000400dc0 [ 149.849245] $16 : 0000000000000000 9800000106cd0000 9800000106cd0000 9800000100cce000 [ 149.849257] $20 : ffffffffc0632b28 ffffffffc05b31b0 9800000100ccca00 0000000000400000 [ 149.849269] $24 : 9800000106cd09ce ffffffff802f69d0 [ 149.849281] $28 : 9800000102a04000 9800000102a07cd0 98000001106a8000 ffffffffc063568c [ 149.849293] Hi : 00000335b2111e66 [ 149.849295] Lo : 6668d90061ae0ae9 [ 149.849298] epc : ffffffffc06356ec kvm_vz_vcpu_setup+0xc4/0x328 [kvm] [ 149.849324] ra : ffffffffc063568c kvm_vz_vcpu_setup+0x64/0x328 [kvm] [ 149.849336] Status: 7400cce3 KX SX UX KERNEL EXL IE [ 149.849351] Cause : 1000000c (ExcCode 03) [ 149.849354] BadVA : 0000000000000300 [ 149.849357] PrId : 0014c004 (ICT Loongson-3) [ 149.849360] Modules linked in: kvm nfnetlink_queue nfnetlink_log nfnetlink fuse sha256_generic libsha256 cfg80211 rfkill binfmt_misc vfat fat snd_hda_codec_hdmi input_leds led_class snd_hda_intel snd_intel_dspcfg snd_hda_codec snd_hda_core snd_pcm snd_timer snd serio_raw xhci_pci radeon drm_suballoc_helper drm_display_helper xhci_hcd ip_tables x_tables [ 149.849432] Process qemu-system-mip (pid: 2265, threadinfo=00000000ae2982d2, task=0000000038e09ad4, tls=000000ffeba16030) [ 149.849439] Stack : 9800000000000003 9800000100ccca00 9800000100ccc000 ffffffffc062cef4 [ 149.849453] 9800000102a07d18 c89b63a7ab338e00 0000000000000000 ffffffff811a0000 [ 149.849465] 0000000000000000 9800000106cd0000 ffffffff80e59938 98000001106a8920 [ 149.849476] ffffffff80e57f30 ffffffffc062854c ffffffff811a0000 9800000102bf4240 [ 149.849488] ffffffffc05b0000 ffffffff80e3a798 000000ff78000000 000000ff78000010 [ 149.849500] 0000000000000255 98000001021f7de0 98000001023f0078 ffffffff81434000 [ 149.849511] 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 9800000102ae0000 980000025e92ae28 [ 149.849523] 0000000000000000 c89b63a7ab338e00 0000000000000001 ffffffff8119dce0 [ 149.849535] 000000ff78000010 ffffffff804f3d3c 9800000102a07eb0 0000000000000255 [ 149.849546] 0000000000000000 ffffffff8049460c 000000ff78000010 0000000000000255 [ 149.849558] ... [ 149.849565] Call Trace: [ 149.849567] [<ffffffffc06356ec>] kvm_vz_vcpu_setup+0xc4/0x328 [kvm] [ 149.849586] [<ffffffffc062cef4>] kvm_arch_vcpu_create+0x184/0x228 [kvm] [ 149.849605] [<ffffffffc062854c>] kvm_vm_ioctl+0x64c/0xf28 [kvm] [ 149.849623] [<ffffffff805209c0>] sys_ioctl+0xc8/0x118 [ 149.849631] [<ffffffff80219eb0>] syscall_common+0x34/0x58 The root cause is the deletion of kvm_mips_commpage_init() leaves vcpu ->arch.cop0 NULL. So fix it by making cop0 from a pointer to an embedded object.

It is possible to read the advisory at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2023-54241 since 12/30/2025. The exploitation appears to be difficult. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 281691 (Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2023-54241), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 5.15.121, 6.1.40 or 6.4.5 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch cd517f9a9d07d41f4f3593b1da3982261e09d162/bd9cf2a5f9e1b2229ad22f21de6f6ad1a9c8858e/6b9fb255d53759e3ea9b30067cb55091df1caf06/e4de2057698636c0ee709e545d19b169d2069fa3 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 (281691) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2941). Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.

Affected

• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• IBM Power Hardware Management Console
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• RESF Rocky Linux
• IBM DataPower Gateway

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 5.15.120
• 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
• 6.4.0
• 6.4.1
• 6.4.2
• 6.4.3
• 6.4.4

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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CVSSv4info

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Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

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Entryinfo

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