CVE-2023-52993

x86/i8259: Mark legacy PIC interrupts with IRQ_LEVEL

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: March 27, 2025 at 04:43 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 06:44 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
MEDIUM5.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.3%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/i8259: Mark legacy PIC interrupts with IRQ_LEVEL Baoquan reported that after triggering a crash the subsequent crash-kernel fails to boot about half of the time. It triggers a NULL pointer dereference in the periodic tick code. This happens because the legacy timer interrupt (IRQ0) is resent in software which happens in soft interrupt (tasklet) context. In this context get_irq_regs() returns NULL which leads to the NULL pointer dereference. The reason for the resend is a spurious APIC interrupt on the IRQ0 vector which is captured and leads to a resend when the legacy timer interrupt is enabled. This is wrong because the legacy PIC interrupts are level triggered and therefore should never be resent in software, but nothing ever sets the IRQ_LEVEL flag on those interrupts, so the core code does not know about their trigger type. Ensure that IRQ_LEVEL is set when the legacy PCI interrupts are set up.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

2.6.18 ≤ v < 4.14.3052.6.18 ≤ v < 4.19.2722.6.18 ≤ v < 5.10.1662.6.18 ≤ v < 5.15.912.6.18 ≤ v < 5.4.2312.6.18 ≤ v < 6.1.92.6.18 ≤ v < 6.24.15 ≤ v < 4.19.2724.20 ≤ v < 5.4.2315.11 ≤ v < 5.15.915.16 ≤ v < 6.1.95.5 ≤ v < 5.10.1666.2 rc16.2 rc26.2 rc36.2 rc46.2 rc5a4633adcdbc15ac51afcd0e1395de58cee27cf92
Vendor states this is fixed in 0b08201158f177aab469e356b4d6af24fdd118df (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 137f1b47da5f58805da42c1b7811e28c1e353f39 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 496975d1a2937f4baadf3d985991b13fc4fc4f27 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5fa55950729d0762a787451dc52862c3f850f859 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 744fe9be9665227335539b7a77ece8d9ff62b6c0 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 8770cd9d7c14aa99c255a0d08186f0be953e1638 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in e284c273dbb4c1ed68d4204bff94d0b10e4a90f5 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 2.6.18 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.14.305 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.19.272 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.166 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.91 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.4.231 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.9 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.2 (unaffected)

References (7)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0b08201158f177aab469e356b4d6af24fdd118df
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/137f1b47da5f58805da42c1b7811e28c1e353f39
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/496975d1a2937f4baadf3d985991b13fc4fc4f27
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5fa55950729d0762a787451dc52862c3f850f859
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/744fe9be9665227335539b7a77ece8d9ff62b6c0
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8770cd9d7c14aa99c255a0d08186f0be953e1638
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e284c273dbb4c1ed68d4204bff94d0b10e4a90f5

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitNot automatablePartial impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

5.5MEDIUMCISA-ADP
Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-476

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