CVE-2023-53291
5.5 · MEDIUMOverview
CVE-2023-53291 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on September 16, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
Technical Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
rcu/rcuscale: Stop kfree_scale_thread thread(s) after unloading rcuscale
Running the 'kfree_rcu_test' test case [1] results in a splat [2].
The root cause is the kfree_scale_thread thread(s) continue running
after unloading the rcuscale module. This commit fixes that isue by
invoking kfree_scale_cleanup() from rcu_scale_cleanup() when removing
the rcuscale module.
[1] modprobe rcuscale kfree_rcu_test=1
// After some time
rmmod rcuscale
rmmod torture
[2] BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffffffc0601a87
#PF: supervisor instruction fetch in kernel mode
#PF: error_code(0x0010) - not-present page
PGD 11de4f067 P4D 11de4f067 PUD 11de51067 PMD 112f4d067 PTE 0
Oops: 0010 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI
CPU: 1 PID: 1798 Comm: kfree_scale_thr Not tainted 6.3.0-rc1-rcu+ #1
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015
RIP: 0010:0xffffffffc0601a87
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 5.6, < 5.10.188 | Affected |
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2023-53291?
CVE-2023-53291 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on September 16, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2023-53291?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2023-53291?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2023-53291?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2023-53291 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
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