CVE-2023-53790

bpf: Zeroing allocated object from slab in bpf memory allocator

Published Dec 9, 2025 CVSS 3.1 · 7.8 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

bpf: Zeroing allocated object from slab in bpf memory allocator

Currently the freed element in bpf memory allocator may be immediately
reused, for htab map the reuse will reinitialize special fields in map
value (e.g., bpf_spin_lock), but lookup procedure may still access
these special fields, and it may lead to hard-lockup as shown below:

NMI backtrace for cpu 16
CPU: 16 PID: 2574 Comm: htab.bin Tainted: G L 6.1.0+ #1
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996),
RIP: 0010:queued_spin_lock_slowpath+0x283/0x2c0
......
Call Trace:
<TASK>
copy_map_value_locked+0xb7/0x170
bpf_map_copy_value+0x113/0x3c0
__sys_bpf+0x1c67/0x2780
__x64_sys_bpf+0x1c/0x20
do_syscall_64+0x30/0x60
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0
......
</TASK>

For htab map, just like the preallocated case, these is no need to
initialize these special fields in map value again once these fields
have been initialized. For preallocated htab map, these fields are
initialized through __GFP_ZERO in bpf_map_area_alloc(), so do the
similar thing for non-preallocated htab in bpf memory allocator. And
there is no need to use __GFP_ZERO for per-cpu bpf memory allocator,
because __alloc_percpu_gfp() does it implicitly.

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

Low

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Zeroing allocated object from slab in bpf memory allocator Currently the freed element in bpf memory allocator may be immediately reused, for htab map the reuse will reinitialize special fields in map value (e.g., bpf_spin_lock), but lookup procedure may still access these special fields, and it may lead to hard-lockup as shown below: NMI backtrace for cpu 16 CPU: 16 PID: 2574 Comm: htab.bin Tainted: G L 6.1.0+ #1 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), RIP: 0010:queued_spin_lock_slowpath+0x283/0x2c0 ...... Call Trace: <TASK> copy_map_value_locked+0xb7/0x170 bpf_map_copy_value+0x113/0x3c0 __sys_bpf+0x1c67/0x2780 __x64_sys_bpf+0x1c/0x20 do_syscall_64+0x30/0x60 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0 ...... </TASK> For htab map, just like the preallocated case, these is no need to initialize these special fields in map value again once these fields have been initialized. For preallocated htab map, these fields are initialized through __GFP_ZERO in bpf_map_area_alloc(), so do the similar thing for non-preallocated htab in bpf memory allocator. And there is no need to use __GFP_ZERO for per-cpu bpf memory allocator, because __alloc_percpu_gfp() does it implicitly.
Title bpf: Zeroing allocated object from slab in bpf memory allocator
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, 11:58 PM
Status
Deferred
Published
Dec 9, 2025, 1:16 AM
Modified
Oct 15, 2026, 10:17 PM
Severity
Low
Public date
Dec 9, 2025, 12:00 AM