Linux Kernel up to 6.1.15/6.2.2 PID smc_llc_srv_add_link denial of service

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability labeled as critical has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.15/6.2.2. This affects the function smc_llc_srv_add_link of the component PID. Such manipulation leads to denial of service. This vulnerability is listed as CVE-2023-54237. There is no available exploit. The affected component should be upgraded.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.15/6.2.2. Affected by this issue is the function smc_llc_srv_add_link of the component PID. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a denial of service vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-404. The product does not release or incorrectly releases a resource before it is made available for re-use. Impacted is availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/smc: fix potential panic dues to unprotected smc_llc_srv_add_link() There is a certain chance to trigger the following panic: PID: 5900 TASK: ffff88c1c8af4100 CPU: 1 COMMAND: "kworker/1:48" #0 [ffff9456c1cc79a0] machine_kexec at ffffffff870665b7 #1 [ffff9456c1cc79f0] __crash_kexec at ffffffff871b4c7a #2 [ffff9456c1cc7ab0] crash_kexec at ffffffff871b5b60 #3 [ffff9456c1cc7ac0] oops_end at ffffffff87026ce7 #4 [ffff9456c1cc7ae0] page_fault_oops at ffffffff87075715 #5 [ffff9456c1cc7b58] exc_page_fault at ffffffff87ad0654 #6 [ffff9456c1cc7b80] asm_exc_page_fault at ffffffff87c00b62 [exception RIP: ib_alloc_mr+19] RIP: ffffffffc0c9cce3 RSP: ffff9456c1cc7c38 RFLAGS: 00010202 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 0000000000000002 RCX: 0000000000000004 RDX: 0000000000000010 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: 0000000000000000 RBP: ffff88c1ea281d00 R8: 000000020a34ffff R9: ffff88c1350bbb20 R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000001 R12: 0000000000000000 R13: 0000000000000010 R14: ffff88c1ab040a50 R15: ffff88c1ea281d00 ORIG_RAX: ffffffffffffffff CS: 0010 SS: 0018 #7 [ffff9456c1cc7c60] smc_ib_get_memory_region at ffffffffc0aff6df [smc] #8 [ffff9456c1cc7c88] smcr_buf_map_link at ffffffffc0b0278c [smc] #9 [ffff9456c1cc7ce0] __smc_buf_create at ffffffffc0b03586 [smc] The reason here is that when the server tries to create a second link, smc_llc_srv_add_link() has no protection and may add a new link to link group. This breaks the security environment protected by llc_conf_mutex.

The advisory is available at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2023-54237 since 12/30/2025. Technical details are known, but there is no available exploit.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 280728 (Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2023-54237), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.1.16 or 6.2.3 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch f2f46de98c11d41ac8d22765f47ba54ce5480a5b/0c764cc271d3aa6528ae1b3394babf34ac01f775/e40b801b3603a8f90b46acbacdea3505c27f01c0 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 (280728) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2941). If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.

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

• 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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Exploitinginfo

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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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