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

driver core: fix potential null-ptr-deref in device_add()

I got the following null-ptr-deref report while doing fault injection test:

BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000058
CPU: 2 PID: 278 Comm: 37-i2c-ds2482 Tainted: G B W N 6.1.0-rc3+
RIP: 0010:klist_put+0x2d/0xd0
Call Trace:
<TASK>
klist_remove+0xf1/0x1c0
device_release_driver_internal+0x196/0x210
bus_remove_device+0x1bd/0x240
device_add+0xd3d/0x1100
w1_add_master_device+0x476/0x490 [wire]
ds2482_probe+0x303/0x3e0 [ds2482]

This is how it happened:

w1_alloc_dev()
// The dev->driver is set to w1_master_driver.
memcpy(&dev->dev, device, sizeof(struct device));
device_add()
bus_add_device()
dpm_sysfs_add() // It fails, calls bus_remove_device.

// error path
bus_remove_device()
// The dev->driver is not null, but driver is not bound.
__device_release_driver()
klist_remove(&dev->p->knode_driver) <-- It causes null-ptr-deref.

// normal path
bus_probe_device() // It's not called yet.
device_bind_driver()

If dev->driver is set, in the error path after calling bus_add_device()
in device_add(), bus_remove_device() is called, then the device will be
detached from driver. But device_bind_driver() is not called yet, so it
causes null-ptr-deref while access the 'knode_driver'. To fix this, set
dev->driver to null in the error path before calling bus_remove_device().

No CVSS v4.0

Attack Vector Local

Attack Complexity Low

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 0.00026.

Key SSVC decision points have not yet been added.

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 Linux unaffected
Version Status Constraints
57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba affected < 97aa8fb74bbe9aaf4ed5962a784f73b071bd16bf
57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba affected < 2c59650d078b1b3f1ea50d5f8ee9fcc537dc02d3
57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba affected < 7cf515bf9e8c2908dc170ecf2df117162a16c9c5
57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba affected < 17982304806c5c10924e73f7ca5556e0d7378452
57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba affected < f6837f34a34973ef6600c08195ed300e24e97317
Linux Linux affected
Version Status Constraints
2.6.26 affected —
0 unaffected < 2.6.26
5.10.249 unaffected ≤ 5.10.*
5.15.99 unaffected ≤ 5.15.*
6.1.16 unaffected ≤ 6.1.*
6.2.3 unaffected ≤ 6.2.*
6.3 unaffected ≤ *

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Workaround

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References
Link Providers
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/17982304806c5c10924e73f7ca5556e0d7378452 cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2c59650d078b1b3f1ea50d5f8ee9fcc537dc02d3 cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7cf515bf9e8c2908dc170ecf2df117162a16c9c5 cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/97aa8fb74bbe9aaf4ed5962a784f73b071bd16bf cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f6837f34a34973ef6600c08195ed300e24e97317 cve-icon cve-icon
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2025123022-CVE-2023-54321-b87f@gregkh/T cve-icon
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-54321 cve-icon
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-54321 cve-icon
History

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 16:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 12:15:00 +0000

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

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 12:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: driver core: fix potential null-ptr-deref in device_add() I got the following null-ptr-deref report while doing fault injection test: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000058 CPU: 2 PID: 278 Comm: 37-i2c-ds2482 Tainted: G B W N 6.1.0-rc3+ RIP: 0010:klist_put+0x2d/0xd0 Call Trace: <TASK> klist_remove+0xf1/0x1c0 device_release_driver_internal+0x196/0x210 bus_remove_device+0x1bd/0x240 device_add+0xd3d/0x1100 w1_add_master_device+0x476/0x490 [wire] ds2482_probe+0x303/0x3e0 [ds2482] This is how it happened: w1_alloc_dev() // The dev->driver is set to w1_master_driver. memcpy(&dev->dev, device, sizeof(struct device)); device_add() bus_add_device() dpm_sysfs_add() // It fails, calls bus_remove_device. // error path bus_remove_device() // The dev->driver is not null, but driver is not bound. __device_release_driver() klist_remove(&dev->p->knode_driver) <-- It causes null-ptr-deref. // normal path bus_probe_device() // It's not called yet. device_bind_driver() If dev->driver is set, in the error path after calling bus_add_device() in device_add(), bus_remove_device() is called, then the device will be detached from driver. But device_bind_driver() is not called yet, so it causes null-ptr-deref while access the 'knode_driver'. To fix this, set dev->driver to null in the error path before calling bus_remove_device().
Title driver core: fix potential null-ptr-deref in device_add()
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-02-06T16:30:50.353Z

Reserved: 2025-12-30T12:28:53.860Z

Link: CVE-2023-54321

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2025-12-30T13:16:21.410

Modified: 2026-02-06T17:16:13.843

Link: CVE-2023-54321

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Low

Publid Date: 2025-12-30T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2023-54321 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

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Weaknesses

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