CVE-2023-53421

blk-cgroup: Reinit blkg_iostat_set after clearing in blkcg_reset_stats()

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: September 18, 2025 at 04:04 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 06:45 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

Using Linux by Linux?

Get instant alerts when new vulnerabilities affect Linux - before attackers find them.

Real-time alertsTrack your software stackFree plan available
Severity
MEDIUM5.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: blk-cgroup: Reinit blkg_iostat_set after clearing in blkcg_reset_stats() When blkg_alloc() is called to allocate a blkcg_gq structure with the associated blkg_iostat_set's, there are 2 fields within blkg_iostat_set that requires proper initialization - blkg & sync. The former field was introduced by commit 3b8cc6298724 ("blk-cgroup: Optimize blkcg_rstat_flush()") while the later one was introduced by commit f73316482977 ("blk-cgroup: reimplement basic IO stats using cgroup rstat"). Unfortunately those fields in the blkg_iostat_set's are not properly re-initialized when they are cleared in v1's blkcg_reset_stats(). This can lead to a kernel panic due to NULL pointer access of the blkg pointer. The missing initialization of sync is less problematic and can be a problem in a debug kernel due to missing lockdep initialization. Fix these problems by re-initializing them after memory clearing.

Affected

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

5.5 ≤ v < 5.10.2585.5 ≤ v < 5.15.1995.5 ≤ v < 6.1.1625.5 ≤ v < 6.3.135.5 ≤ v < 6.4.45.5 ≤ v < 6.56.4 ≤ v < 6.4.45.5f73316482977ac401ac37245c9df48079d4e11f3
Vendor states this is fixed in 0561aa6033dd181594116d705c41fc16e97161a2 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 3d2af77e31ade05ff7ccc3658c3635ec1bea0979 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 58c135513562698f222a58ba07dbdfcfb268aa0d (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 892faa76be894d324bf48b12a55c7af7be2bad83 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in abbce7f82613ea5eeefd0fc3c1c8e449b9cef2a2 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in b0d26283af612b9e0cc3188b0b88ad7fdea447e8 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.258 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.199 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.5 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.162 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.3.13 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.4.4 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.5 (unaffected)

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

Get alerted

Stop reading CVE feeds looking for your own stack

Track the products you run and VulnTracker tells you when a new CVE affects them — with what is known about fixing it, and nothing about the rest.

Free plan, no card