tracing: Fix null pointer dereference in tracing_err_log_open()
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-476.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Fix null pointer dereference in tracing_err_log_open() Fix an issue in function 'tracing_err_log_open'. The function doesn't call 'seq_open' if the file is opened only with write permissions, which results in 'file->private_data' being left as null. If we then use 'lseek' on that opened file, 'seq_lseek' dereferences 'file->private_data' in 'mutex_lock(&m->lock)', resulting in a kernel panic. Writing to this node requires root privileges, therefore this bug has very little security impact. Tracefs node: /sys/kernel/tracing/error_log Example Kernel panic: Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000038 Call trace: mutex_lock+0x30/0x110 seq_lseek+0x34/0xb8 __arm64_sys_lseek+0x6c/0xb8 invoke_syscall+0x58/0x13c el0_svc_common+0xc4/0x10c do_el0_svc+0x24/0x98 el0_svc+0x24/0x88 el0t_64_sync_handler+0x84/0xe4 el0t_64_sync+0x1b4/0x1b8 Code: d503201f aa0803e0 aa1f03e1 aa0103e9 (c8e97d02) ---[ end trace 561d1b49c12cf8a5 ]--- Kernel panic - not syncing: Oops: Fatal exception
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 5.2 and later | 5.4.251, 5.10.188, 5.15.121, 6.1.40, 6.4.5, 6.5 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.2 and later Fixed in 5.4.251, 5.10.188, 5.15.121, 6.1.40, 6.4.5, 6.5 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.2 to before 5.4.251; 5.5 to before 5.10.188; 5.11 to before 5.15.121; 5.16 to before 6.1.40; 6.2 to before 6.4.5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.2 to before 5.4.251; 5.5 to before 5.10.188; 5.11 to before 5.15.121; 5.16 to before 6.1.40; 6.2 to before 6.4.5 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.4.251, 5.10.188, 5.15.121, 6.1.40, 6.4.5, 6.5
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-53167
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-xcgf-679w-pgvp
- 2026-11-05 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Patch 6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/93114cbc7cb169f6f26eeaed5286b91bb86b463b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7060e5aac6dc195124c106f49106d653a416323a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3b5d9b7b875968a8a8c99dac45cb85b705c44802
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/938d5b7a75e18264887387ddf9169db6d8aeef98
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1e1c9aa9288a46c342f0f2c5c0b1c0876b9b0276
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/02b0095e2fbbc060560c1065f86a211d91e27b26
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2023-53167 · CVE Program
- CVE-2023-53167 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-xcgf-679w-pgvp · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2023-53167 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences