CVE-2023-53052 cifs: fix use-after-free bug in refresh_cache_worker()
A use-after-free bug in the Linux kernel CIFS module allows attackers to cause denial of service or potentially execute code via race conditions in DFS cache refreshing.
- 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
What is CVE-2023-53052?
CVE-2023-53052 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 2 May 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:
cifs: fix use-after-free bug in refresh_cache_worker()
The UAF bug occurred because we were putting DFS root sessions in cifs_umount() while DFS cache refresher was being executed.
Make DFS root sessions have same lifetime as DFS tcons so we can avoid the use-after-free bug is DFS cache refresher and other places that require IPCs to get new DFS referrals on. Also, get rid of mount group handling in DFS cache as we no longer need it.
This fixes below use-after-free bug catched by KASAN
[ 379.946955] BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in __refresh_tcon.isra.0+0x10b/0xc10 [cifs] [ 379.947642] Read of size 8 at addr ffff888018f57030 by task kworker/u4:3/56 [ 379.948096] [ 379.948208] CPU: 0 PID: 56 Comm: kworker/u4:3 Not tainted 6.2.0-rc7-lku #23 [ 379.948661] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS rel-1.16.0-0-gd239552-rebuilt.opensuse.org 04/01/2014 [ 379.949368] Workqueue: cifs-dfscache refresh_cache_worker [cifs] [ 379.949942] Call Trace: [ 379.950113] <TASK> [ 379.950260] dump_stack_lvl+0x50/0x67 [ 379.950510] print_report+0x16a/0x48e [ 379.950759] ? __virt_addr_valid+0xd8/0x160 [ 379.951040] ? __phys_addr+0x41/0x80 [ 379.951285] kasan_report+0xdb/0x110 [ 379.951533] ? __refresh_tcon.isra.0+0x10b/0xc10 [cifs] [ 379.952056] ? __refresh_tcon.isra.0+0x10b/0xc10 [cifs] [ 379.952585] __refresh_tcon.isra.0+0x10b/0xc10 [cifs] [ 379.953096] ? __pfx___refresh_tcon.isra.0+0x10/0x10 [cifs] [ 379.953637] ? __pfx___mutex_lock+0x10/0x10 [ 379.953915] ? lock_release+0xb6/0x720 [ 379.954167] ? __pfx_lock_acquire+0x10/0x10 [ 379.954443] ? refresh_cache_worker+0x34e/0x6d0 [cifs] [ 379.954960] ? __pfx_wb_workfn+0x10/0x10 [ 379.955239] refresh_cache_worker+0x4ad/0x6d0 [cifs] [ 379.955755] ? __pfx_refresh_cache_worker+0x10/0x10 [cifs] [ 379.956323] ? __pfx_lock_acquired+0x10/0x10 [ 379.956615] ? read_word_at_a_time+0xe/0x20 [ 379.956898] ? lockdep_hardirqs_on_prepare+0x12/0x220 [ 379.957235] process_one_work+0x535/0x990 [ 379.957509] ? __pfx_process_one_work+0x10/0x10 [ 379.957812] ? lock_acquired+0xb7/0x5f0 [ 379.958069] ? __list_add_valid+0x37/0xd0 [ 379.958341] ? __list_add_valid+0x37/0xd0 [ 379.958611] worker_thread+0x8e/0x630 [ 379.958861] ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10 [ 379.959148] kthread+0x17d/0x1b0 [ 379.959369] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 [ 379.959630] ret_from_fork+0x2c/0x50 [ 379.959879] </TASK>
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53052?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2023-53052?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2023-53052 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53052 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2023-53052, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53052, GHSA-3vrc-v2w2-8gq7, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2023-53052, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2023-53052, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53052.