CVE-2023-53747

vc_screen: reload load of struct vc_data pointer in vcs_write() to avoid UAF

Published Dec 8, 2025 CVSS 3.1 · 7.8 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

vc_screen: reload load of struct vc_data pointer in vcs_write() to avoid UAF

After a call to console_unlock() in vcs_write() the vc_data struct can be
freed by vc_port_destruct(). Because of that, the struct vc_data pointer
must be reloaded in the while loop in vcs_write() after console_lock() to
avoid a UAF when vcs_size() is called.

Syzkaller reported a UAF in vcs_size().

BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in vcs_size (drivers/tty/vt/vc_screen.c:215)
Read of size 4 at addr ffff8880beab89a8 by task repro_vcs_size/4119

Call Trace:
<TASK>
__asan_report_load4_noabort (mm/kasan/report_generic.c:380)
vcs_size (drivers/tty/vt/vc_screen.c:215)
vcs_write (drivers/tty/vt/vc_screen.c:664)
vfs_write (fs/read_write.c:582 fs/read_write.c:564)
...
<TASK>

Allocated by task 1213:
kmalloc_trace (mm/slab_common.c:1064)
vc_allocate (./include/linux/slab.h:559 ./include/linux/slab.h:680
drivers/tty/vt/vt.c:1078 drivers/tty/vt/vt.c:1058)
con_install (drivers/tty/vt/vt.c:3334)
tty_init_dev (drivers/tty/tty_io.c:1303 drivers/tty/tty_io.c:1415
drivers/tty/tty_io.c:1392)
tty_open (drivers/tty/tty_io.c:2082 drivers/tty/tty_io.c:2128)
chrdev_open (fs/char_dev.c:415)
do_dentry_open (fs/open.c:921)
vfs_open (fs/open.c:1052)
...

Freed by task 4116:
kfree (mm/slab_common.c:1016)
vc_port_destruct (drivers/tty/vt/vt.c:1044)
tty_port_destructor (drivers/tty/tty_port.c:296)
tty_port_put (drivers/tty/tty_port.c:312)
vt_disallocate_all (drivers/tty/vt/vt_ioctl.c:662 (discriminator 2))
vt_ioctl (drivers/tty/vt/vt_ioctl.c:903)
tty_ioctl (drivers/tty/tty_io.c:2778)
...

The buggy address belongs to the object at ffff8880beab8800
which belongs to the cache kmalloc-1k of size 1024
The buggy address is located 424 bytes inside of
freed 1024-byte region [ffff8880beab8800, ffff8880beab8c00)

The buggy address belongs to the physical page:
page:00000000afc77580 refcount:1 mapcount:0 mapping:0000000000000000
index:0x0 pfn:0xbeab8
head:00000000afc77580 order:3 entire_mapcount:0 nr_pages_mapped:0
pincount:0
flags: 0xfffffc0010200(slab|head|node=0|zone=1|lastcpupid=0x1fffff)
page_type: 0xffffffff()
raw: 000fffffc0010200 ffff888100042dc0 ffffea000426de00 dead000000000002
raw: 0000000000000000 0000000000100010 00000001ffffffff 0000000000000000
page dumped because: kasan: bad access detected

Memory state around the buggy address:
ffff8880beab8880: fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb
ffff8880beab8900: fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb
>ffff8880beab8980: fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb
^
ffff8880beab8a00: fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb
ffff8880beab8a80: fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb
==================================================================
Disabling lock debugging due to kernel taint

Analysis

No analysis available yet

Remediation

No remediation available yet

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vc_screen: reload load of struct vc_data pointer in vcs_write() to avoid UAF After a call to console_unlock() in vcs_write() the vc_data struct can be freed by vc_port_destruct(). Because of that, the struct vc_data pointer must be reloaded in the while loop in vcs_write() after console_lock() to avoid a UAF when vcs_size() is called. Syzkaller reported a UAF in vcs_size(). BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in vcs_size (drivers/tty/vt/vc_screen.c:215) Read of size 4 at addr ffff8880beab89a8 by task repro_vcs_size/4119 Call Trace: <TASK> __asan_report_load4_noabort (mm/kasan/report_generic.c:380) vcs_size (drivers/tty/vt/vc_screen.c:215) vcs_write (drivers/tty/vt/vc_screen.c:664) vfs_write (fs/read_write.c:582 fs/read_write.c:564) ... <TASK> Allocated by task 1213: kmalloc_trace (mm/slab_common.c:1064) vc_allocate (./include/linux/slab.h:559 ./include/linux/slab.h:680 drivers/tty/vt/vt.c:1078 drivers/tty/vt/vt.c:1058) con_install (drivers/tty/vt/vt.c:3334) tty_init_dev (drivers/tty/tty_io.c:1303 drivers/tty/tty_io.c:1415 drivers/tty/tty_io.c:1392) tty_open (drivers/tty/tty_io.c:2082 drivers/tty/tty_io.c:2128) chrdev_open (fs/char_dev.c:415) do_dentry_open (fs/open.c:921) vfs_open (fs/open.c:1052) ... Freed by task 4116: kfree (mm/slab_common.c:1016) vc_port_destruct (drivers/tty/vt/vt.c:1044) tty_port_destructor (drivers/tty/tty_port.c:296) tty_port_put (drivers/tty/tty_port.c:312) vt_disallocate_all (drivers/tty/vt/vt_ioctl.c:662 (discriminator 2)) vt_ioctl (drivers/tty/vt/vt_ioctl.c:903) tty_ioctl (drivers/tty/tty_io.c:2778) ... The buggy address belongs to the object at ffff8880beab8800 which belongs to the cache kmalloc-1k of size 1024 The buggy address is located 424 bytes inside of freed 1024-byte region [ffff8880beab8800, ffff8880beab8c00) The buggy address belongs to the physical page: page:00000000afc77580 refcount:1 mapcount:0 mapping:0000000000000000 index:0x0 pfn:0xbeab8 head:00000000afc77580 order:3 entire_mapcount:0 nr_pages_mapped:0 pincount:0 flags: 0xfffffc0010200(slab|head|node=0|zone=1|lastcpupid=0x1fffff) page_type: 0xffffffff() raw: 000fffffc0010200 ffff888100042dc0 ffffea000426de00 dead000000000002 raw: 0000000000000000 0000000000100010 00000001ffffffff 0000000000000000 page dumped because: kasan: bad access detected Memory state around the buggy address: ffff8880beab8880: fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb ffff8880beab8900: fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb >ffff8880beab8980: fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb ^ ffff8880beab8a00: fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb ffff8880beab8a80: fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb ================================================================== Disabling lock debugging due to kernel taint
Title vc_screen: reload load of struct vc_data pointer in vcs_write() to avoid UAF
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References
Weaknesses

No weakness.

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Oct 15, 2026, 9:41 PM
Reserved
Dec 8, 2025, 1:18 AM
Status
Deferred
Published
Dec 8, 2025, 2:15 AM
Modified
Oct 15, 2026, 10:17 PM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Dec 8, 2025, 12:00 AM