# CVE-2023-52847: media: bttv: fix use after free error due to btv->timeout timer

> A race condition in the bttv driver allows a use-after-free, potentially enabling local attackers to execute code or escalate privileges.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 21 May 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-52847, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-52847, GHSA-jv5m-87g4-wp39, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-52847

## What is CVE-2023-52847?

CVE-2023-52847 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 21 May 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

media: bttv: fix use after free error due to btv->timeout timer

There may be some a race condition between timer function
bttv_irq_timeout and bttv_remove. The timer is setup in
probe and there is no timer_delete operation in remove
function. When it hit kfree btv, the function might still be
invoked, which will cause use after free bug.

This bug is found by static analysis, it may be false positive.

Fix it by adding del_timer_sync invoking to the remove function.

cpu0                cpu1
                  bttv_probe
                    ->timer_setup
                      ->bttv_set_dma
                        ->mod_timer;
bttv_remove
  ->kfree(btv);
                  ->bttv_irq_timeout
                    ->USE btv

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free), CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-52847?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-52847?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-52847 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52847 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-52847 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-52847 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 21 May 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52847 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52847/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52847/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-52847
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-52847
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-52847

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52847/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.