CVE-2023-53368 - Vulnerability Details

- tracing: Fix race issue between cpu buffer write and swap

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

tracing: Fix race issue between cpu buffer write and swap

Warning happened in rb_end_commit() at code:
if (RB_WARN_ON(cpu_buffer, !local_read(&cpu_buffer->committing)))

WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 139 at kernel/trace/ring_buffer.c:3142
rb_commit+0x402/0x4a0
Call Trace:
ring_buffer_unlock_commit+0x42/0x250
trace_buffer_unlock_commit_regs+0x3b/0x250
trace_event_buffer_commit+0xe5/0x440
trace_event_buffer_reserve+0x11c/0x150
trace_event_raw_event_sched_switch+0x23c/0x2c0
__traceiter_sched_switch+0x59/0x80
__schedule+0x72b/0x1580
schedule+0x92/0x120
worker_thread+0xa0/0x6f0

It is because the race between writing event into cpu buffer and swapping
cpu buffer through file per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot:

Write on CPU 0 Swap buffer by per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot on CPU 1
-------- --------
tracing_snapshot_write()
[...]

ring_buffer_lock_reserve()
cpu_buffer = buffer->buffers[cpu]; // 1. Suppose find 'cpu_buffer_a';
[...]
rb_reserve_next_event()
[...]

ring_buffer_swap_cpu()
if (local_read(&cpu_buffer_a->committing))
goto out_dec;
if (local_read(&cpu_buffer_b->committing))
goto out_dec;
buffer_a->buffers[cpu] = cpu_buffer_b;
buffer_b->buffers[cpu] = cpu_buffer_a;
// 2. cpu_buffer has swapped here.

rb_start_commit(cpu_buffer);
if (unlikely(READ_ONCE(cpu_buffer->buffer)
!= buffer)) { // 3. This check passed due to 'cpu_buffer->buffer'
[...] // has not changed here.
return NULL;
}
cpu_buffer_b->buffer = buffer_a;
cpu_buffer_a->buffer = buffer_b;
[...]

// 4. Reserve event from 'cpu_buffer_a'.

ring_buffer_unlock_commit()
[...]
cpu_buffer = buffer->buffers[cpu]; // 5. Now find 'cpu_buffer_b' !!!
rb_commit(cpu_buffer)
rb_end_commit() // 6. WARN for the wrong 'committing' state !!!

Based on above analysis, we can easily reproduce by following testcase:
``` bash
#!/bin/bash

dmesg -n 7
sysctl -w kernel.panic_on_warn=1
TR=/sys/kernel/tracing
echo 7 > ${TR}/buffer_size_kb
echo "sched:sched_switch" > ${TR}/set_event
while [ true ]; do
echo 1 > ${TR}/per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot
done &
while [ true ]; do
echo 1 > ${TR}/per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot
done &
while [ true ]; do
echo 1 > ${TR}/per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot
done &
```

To fix it, IIUC, we can use smp_call_function_single() to do the swap on
the target cpu where the buffer is located, so that above race would be
avoided.

Published: 2025-09-17

Score: 4.7 Medium

EPSS: < 1% Very Low

KEV: No

Impact:

Action:

Analysis

No analysis available yet.

Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).

Vendor Product Default status Versions

Linux

unaffected

Version	Status	Constraints
`f1affcaaa861f27752a769f889bf1486ebd301fe`	affected	< 90e037cabc2c2dfc39b3dd9c5b22ea91f995539a
`f1affcaaa861f27752a769f889bf1486ebd301fe`	affected	< c5d30d6aa83d99fba8dfdd9cf6c4e4e7a63244db
`f1affcaaa861f27752a769f889bf1486ebd301fe`	affected	< 6182318ac04648b46db9d441fd7d696337fcdd0b
`f1affcaaa861f27752a769f889bf1486ebd301fe`	affected	< 74c85396bd73eca80b96510b4edf93b9a3aff75f
`f1affcaaa861f27752a769f889bf1486ebd301fe`	affected	< 89c89da92a60028013f9539be0dcce7e44405a43
`f1affcaaa861f27752a769f889bf1486ebd301fe`	affected	< 37ca1b686078b00cc4ffa008e2190615f7709b5d
`f1affcaaa861f27752a769f889bf1486ebd301fe`	affected	< 3163f635b20e9e1fb4659e74f47918c9dddfe64e

Linux

affected

Version	Status	Constraints
`3.10`	affected	—
`0`	unaffected	< 3.10
`5.4.257`	unaffected	≤ 5.4.*
`5.10.195`	unaffected	≤ 5.10.*
`5.15.132`	unaffected	≤ 5.15.*
`6.1.53`	unaffected	≤ 6.1.*
`6.4.16`	unaffected	≤ 6.4.*
`6.5.3`	unaffected	≤ 6.5.*
`6.6`	unaffected	≤ *

Configuration 1 [-]

OR	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::

No data.

Vendor	Product	Confidence	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	—	—

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Remediation

No remediation available yet.

Tracking

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Advisories

Source	ID	Title
EUVD	EUVD-2023-59958	In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Fix race issue between cpu buffer write and swap Warning happened in rb_end_commit() at code: if (RB_WARN_ON(cpu_buffer, !local_read(&cpu_buffer->committing))) WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 139 at kernel/trace/ring_buffer.c:3142 rb_commit+0x402/0x4a0 Call Trace: ring_buffer_unlock_commit+0x42/0x250 trace_buffer_unlock_commit_regs+0x3b/0x250 trace_event_buffer_commit+0xe5/0x440 trace_event_buffer_reserve+0x11c/0x150 trace_event_raw_event_sched_switch+0x23c/0x2c0 __traceiter_sched_switch+0x59/0x80 __schedule+0x72b/0x1580 schedule+0x92/0x120 worker_thread+0xa0/0x6f0 It is because the race between writing event into cpu buffer and swapping cpu buffer through file per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot: Write on CPU 0 Swap buffer by per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot on CPU 1 -------- -------- tracing_snapshot_write() [...] ring_buffer_lock_reserve() cpu_buffer = buffer->buffers[cpu]; // 1. Suppose find 'cpu_buffer_a'; [...] rb_reserve_next_event() [...] ring_buffer_swap_cpu() if (local_read(&cpu_buffer_a->committing)) goto out_dec; if (local_read(&cpu_buffer_b->committing)) goto out_dec; buffer_a->buffers[cpu] = cpu_buffer_b; buffer_b->buffers[cpu] = cpu_buffer_a; // 2. cpu_buffer has swapped here. rb_start_commit(cpu_buffer); if (unlikely(READ_ONCE(cpu_buffer->buffer) != buffer)) { // 3. This check passed due to 'cpu_buffer->buffer' [...] // has not changed here. return NULL; } cpu_buffer_b->buffer = buffer_a; cpu_buffer_a->buffer = buffer_b; [...] // 4. Reserve event from 'cpu_buffer_a'. ring_buffer_unlock_commit() [...] cpu_buffer = buffer->buffers[cpu]; // 5. Now find 'cpu_buffer_b' !!! rb_commit(cpu_buffer) rb_end_commit() // 6. WARN for the wrong 'committing' state !!! Based on above analysis, we can easily reproduce by following testcase: ``` bash #!/bin/bash dmesg -n 7 sysctl -w kernel.panic_on_warn=1 TR=/sys/kernel/tracing echo 7 > ${TR}/buffer_size_kb echo "sched:sched_switch" > ${TR}/set_event while [ true ]; do echo 1 > ${TR}/per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot done & while [ true ]; do echo 1 > ${TR}/per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot done & while [ true ]; do echo 1 > ${TR}/per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot done & ``` To fix it, IIUC, we can use smp_call_function_single() to do the swap on the target cpu where the buffer is located, so that above race would be avoided.

No CVSS v4.0

Attack Vector Local

Attack Complexity High

Privileges Required Low

Scope Unchanged

Confidentiality Impact None

Integrity Impact None

Availability Impact High

User Interaction None

No CVSS v3.0

No CVSS v2

This CVE is not in the KEV list.

The EPSS score is 0.00013.

Exploitation none

Automatable no

Technical Impact partial

References

Link	Providers
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3163f635b20e9e1fb4659e74f47918c9dddfe64e
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/37ca1b686078b00cc4ffa008e2190615f7709b5d
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6182318ac04648b46db9d441fd7d696337fcdd0b
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/74c85396bd73eca80b96510b4edf93b9a3aff75f
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/89c89da92a60028013f9539be0dcce7e44405a43
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/90e037cabc2c2dfc39b3dd9c5b22ea91f995539a
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c5d30d6aa83d99fba8dfdd9cf6c4e4e7a63244db
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2025091723-CVE-2023-53368-3371@gregkh/T
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53368
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53368

History

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 19:15:00 +0000

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Metrics		ssvc `{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}`

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Weaknesses		CWE-362
CPEs		cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
Metrics	cvssV3_1 `{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}`	cvssV3_1 `{'score': 4.7, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}`

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
First Time appeared		Linux Linux linux Kernel
Vendors & Products		Linux Linux linux Kernel

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:15:00 +0000

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
References		https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2025091723-CVE-2023-53368-3371@gregkh/T https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53368 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53368
Metrics	threat_severity `None`	cvssV3_1 `{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}` threat_severity `Important`

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Description		In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Fix race issue between cpu buffer write and swap Warning happened in rb_end_commit() at code: if (RB_WARN_ON(cpu_buffer, !local_read(&cpu_buffer->committing))) WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 139 at kernel/trace/ring_buffer.c:3142 rb_commit+0x402/0x4a0 Call Trace: ring_buffer_unlock_commit+0x42/0x250 trace_buffer_unlock_commit_regs+0x3b/0x250 trace_event_buffer_commit+0xe5/0x440 trace_event_buffer_reserve+0x11c/0x150 trace_event_raw_event_sched_switch+0x23c/0x2c0 __traceiter_sched_switch+0x59/0x80 __schedule+0x72b/0x1580 schedule+0x92/0x120 worker_thread+0xa0/0x6f0 It is because the race between writing event into cpu buffer and swapping cpu buffer through file per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot: Write on CPU 0 Swap buffer by per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot on CPU 1 -------- -------- tracing_snapshot_write() [...] ring_buffer_lock_reserve() cpu_buffer = buffer->buffers[cpu]; // 1. Suppose find 'cpu_buffer_a'; [...] rb_reserve_next_event() [...] ring_buffer_swap_cpu() if (local_read(&cpu_buffer_a->committing)) goto out_dec; if (local_read(&cpu_buffer_b->committing)) goto out_dec; buffer_a->buffers[cpu] = cpu_buffer_b; buffer_b->buffers[cpu] = cpu_buffer_a; // 2. cpu_buffer has swapped here. rb_start_commit(cpu_buffer); if (unlikely(READ_ONCE(cpu_buffer->buffer) != buffer)) { // 3. This check passed due to 'cpu_buffer->buffer' [...] // has not changed here. return NULL; } cpu_buffer_b->buffer = buffer_a; cpu_buffer_a->buffer = buffer_b; [...] // 4. Reserve event from 'cpu_buffer_a'. ring_buffer_unlock_commit() [...] cpu_buffer = buffer->buffers[cpu]; // 5. Now find 'cpu_buffer_b' !!! rb_commit(cpu_buffer) rb_end_commit() // 6. WARN for the wrong 'committing' state !!! Based on above analysis, we can easily reproduce by following testcase: ``` bash #!/bin/bash dmesg -n 7 sysctl -w kernel.panic_on_warn=1 TR=/sys/kernel/tracing echo 7 > ${TR}/buffer_size_kb echo "sched:sched_switch" > ${TR}/set_event while [ true ]; do echo 1 > ${TR}/per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot done & while [ true ]; do echo 1 > ${TR}/per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot done & while [ true ]; do echo 1 > ${TR}/per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot done & ``` To fix it, IIUC, we can use smp_call_function_single() to do the swap on the target cpu where the buffer is located, so that above race would be avoided.
Title		tracing: Fix race issue between cpu buffer write and swap
References		https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3163f635b20e9e1fb4659e74f47918c9dddfe64e https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/37ca1b686078b00cc4ffa008e2190615f7709b5d https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6182318ac04648b46db9d441fd7d696337fcdd0b https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/74c85396bd73eca80b96510b4edf93b9a3aff75f https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/89c89da92a60028013f9539be0dcce7e44405a43 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/90e037cabc2c2dfc39b3dd9c5b22ea91f995539a https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c5d30d6aa83d99fba8dfdd9cf6c4e4e7a63244db

Subscriptions

Linux Linux Kernel

MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published: 2025-09-17T14:56:56.752Z

Updated: 2026-01-14T18:53:02.706Z

Reserved: 2025-09-17T14:54:09.734Z

Link: CVE-2023-53368

Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-01-14T18:46:04.570Z

NVD

Status : Modified

Published: 2025-09-17T15:15:41.220

Modified: 2026-01-14T19:16:34.020

Link: CVE-2023-53368

Redhat

Severity : Important

Publid Date: 2025-09-17T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2023-53368 - Bugzilla

OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2025-09-18T11:59:16Z

Weaknesses

CWE-362

Tracking

Attack Vector Local

Attack Complexity High

Privileges Required Low

Scope Unchanged

Confidentiality Impact None

Integrity Impact None

Availability Impact High

User Interaction None

Exploitation none

Automatable no

Technical Impact partial

Subscriptions

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