# CVE-2023-52980: block: ublk: extending queue_size to fix overflow

> An integer overflow in the Linux kernel ublk driver allows out-of-bounds memory access, potentially leading to code execution or denial of service.

- **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:** 27 Mar 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-52980, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-52980, GHSA-cq6c-crmc-xmvp, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-52980

## What is CVE-2023-52980?

CVE-2023-52980 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Mar 2025. 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:

block: ublk: extending queue_size to fix overflow

When validating drafted SPDK ublk target, in a case that
assigning large queue depth to multiqueue ublk device,
ublk target would run into a weird incorrect state. During
rounds of review and debug, An overflow bug was found
in ublk driver.

In ublk_cmd.h, UBLK_MAX_QUEUE_DEPTH is 4096 which means
each ublk queue depth can be set as large as 4096. But
when setting qd for a ublk device,
sizeof(struct ublk_queue) + depth * sizeof(struct ublk_io)
will be larger than 65535 if qd is larger than 2728.
Then queue_size is overflowed, and ublk_get_queue()
references a wrong pointer position. The wrong content of
ublk_queue elements will lead to out-of-bounds memory
access.

Extend queue_size in ublk_device as "unsigned int".

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-52980?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-52980?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-52980 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52980 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-2023-52980 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-52980 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Mar 2025. 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-2023-52980 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-2023-52980/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52980/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-52980
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-52980
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-52980

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52980/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.