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TI-2023-29810 Aliases CVE-2023-53522GHSA-p96p-6mvh-mgpr

cgroup,freezer: hold cpu_hotplug_lock before freezer_mutex

Priority LOW 33Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
—
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 1 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cgroup,freezer: hold cpu_hotplug_lock before freezer_mutex syzbot is reporting circular locking dependency between cpu_hotplug_lock and freezer_mutex, for commit f5d39b020809 ("freezer,sched: Rewrite core freezer logic") replaced atomic_inc() in freezer_apply_state() with static_branch_inc() which holds cpu_hotplug_lock. cpu_hotplug_lock => cgroup_threadgroup_rwsem => freezer_mutex cgroup_file_write() { cgroup_procs_write() { __cgroup_procs_write() { cgroup_procs_write_start() { cgroup_attach_lock() { cpus_read_lock() { percpu_down_read(&cpu_hotplug_lock); } percpu_down_write(&cgroup_threadgroup_rwsem); } } cgroup_attach_task() { cgroup_migrate() { cgroup_migrate_execute() { freezer_attach() { mutex_lock(&freezer_mutex); (...snipped...) } } } } (...snipped...) } } } freezer_mutex => cpu_hotplug_lock cgroup_file_write() { freezer_write() { freezer_change_state() { mutex_lock(&freezer_mutex); freezer_apply_state() { static_branch_inc(&freezer_active) { static_key_slow_inc() { cpus_read_lock(); static_key_slow_inc_cpuslocked(); cpus_read_unlock(); } } } mutex_unlock(&freezer_mutex); } } } Swap locking order by moving cpus_read_lock() in freezer_apply_state() to before mutex_lock(&freezer_mutex) in freezer_change_state().

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00154 4th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 6.1.25, 6.2.12, 6.3Red Hat: 1 without a fix

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

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux6.1 and later6.1.25, 6.2.12, 6.3Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 6.1 and later Fixed in 6.1.25, 6.2.12, 6.3 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 7

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*6.1 to before 6.1.25; 6.2 to before 6.2.12VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*6.3 rc1VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*6.3 rc2VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*6.3 rc3VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*6.3 rc4VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*6.3 rc5VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*6.3 rc6VulnerableLinux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1 to before 6.1.25; 6.2 to before 6.2.12 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.3 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.3 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.3 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.3 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.3 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.3 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.25, 6.2.12, 6.3

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9AffectedNo 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

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-53522
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-p96p-6mvh-mgpr
  3. 2026-11-05 CISA SSVC decision points changed

References

  • 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
See all 15278 →

Sources