# CVE-2023-53110: net/smc: fix NULL sndbuf_desc in smc_cdc_tx_handler()

> A race condition in the Linux kernel SMC-R module can cause a NULL pointer dereference, leading to a system panic and denial of service.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 2 May 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53110, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53110, GHSA-vm5r-r7q6-4cwx, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53110

## What is CVE-2023-53110?

CVE-2023-53110 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 2 May 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

net/smc: fix NULL sndbuf_desc in smc_cdc_tx_handler()

When performing a stress test on SMC-R by rmmod mlx5_ib driver
during the wrk/nginx test, we found that there is a probability
of triggering a panic while terminating all link groups.

This issue dues to the race between smc_smcr_terminate_all()
and smc_buf_create().

			smc_smcr_terminate_all

smc_buf_create
/* init */
conn->sndbuf_desc = NULL;
...

			__smc_lgr_terminate
				smc_conn_kill
					smc_close_abort
						smc_cdc_get_slot_and_msg_send

			__softirqentry_text_start
				smc_wr_tx_process_cqe
					smc_cdc_tx_handler
						READ(conn->sndbuf_desc->len);
						/* panic dues to NULL sndbuf_desc */

conn->sndbuf_desc = xxx;

This patch tries to fix the issue by always to check the sndbuf_desc
before send any cdc msg, to make sure that no null pointer is
seen during cqe processing.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53110?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53110?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53110 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53110 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-2023-53110 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53110 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 2 May 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53110 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-2023-53110/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53110/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53110
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53110
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53110

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53110/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.