# CVE-2023-53138: net: caif: Fix use-after-free in cfusbl_device_notify()

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's CAIF USB driver allows local attackers to potentially execute arbitrary 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:** 2 May 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53138, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53138, GHSA-pgwx-747m-9mgh, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53138

## What is CVE-2023-53138?

CVE-2023-53138 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:

net: caif: Fix use-after-free in cfusbl_device_notify()

syzbot reported use-after-free in cfusbl_device_notify() [1].  This
causes a stack trace like below:

BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in cfusbl_device_notify+0x7c9/0x870 net/caif/caif_usb.c:138
Read of size 8 at addr ffff88807ac4e6f0 by task kworker/u4:6/1214

CPU: 0 PID: 1214 Comm: kworker/u4:6 Not tainted 5.19.0-rc3-syzkaller-00146-g92f20ff72066 #0
Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 01/01/2011
Workqueue: netns cleanup_net
Call Trace:
 <TASK>
 __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:88 [inline]
 dump_stack_lvl+0xcd/0x134 lib/dump_stack.c:106
 print_address_description.constprop.0.cold+0xeb/0x467 mm/kasan/report.c:313
 print_report mm/kasan/report.c:429 [inline]
 kasan_report.cold+0xf4/0x1c6 mm/kasan/report.c:491
 cfusbl_device_notify+0x7c9/0x870 net/caif/caif_usb.c:138
 notifier_call_chain+0xb5/0x200 kernel/notifier.c:87
 call_netdevice_notifiers_info+0xb5/0x130 net/core/dev.c:1945
 call_netdevice_notifiers_extack net/core/dev.c:1983 [inline]
 call_netdevice_notifiers net/core/dev.c:1997 [inline]
 netdev_wait_allrefs_any net/core/dev.c:10227 [inline]
 netdev_run_todo+0xbc0/0x10f0 net/core/dev.c:10341
 default_device_exit_batch+0x44e/0x590 net/core/dev.c:11334
 ops_exit_list+0x125/0x170 net/core/net_namespace.c:167
 cleanup_net+0x4ea/0xb00 net/core/net_namespace.c:594
 process_one_work+0x996/0x1610 kernel/workqueue.c:2289
 worker_thread+0x665/0x1080 kernel/workqueue.c:2436
 kthread+0x2e9/0x3a0 kernel/kthread.c:376
 ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:302
 </TASK>

When unregistering a net device, unregister_netdevice_many_notify()
sets the device's reg_state to NETREG_UNREGISTERING, calls notifiers
with NETDEV_UNREGISTER, and adds the device to the todo list.

Later on, devices in the todo list are processed by netdev_run_todo().
netdev_run_todo() waits devices' reference count become 1 while
rebdoadcasting NETDEV_UNREGISTER notification.

When cfusbl_device_notify() is called with NETDEV_UNREGISTER multiple
times, the parent device might be freed.  This could cause UAF.
Processing NETDEV_UNREGISTER multiple times also causes inbalance of
reference count for the module.

This patch fixes the issue by accepting only first NETDEV_UNREGISTER
notification.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53138?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53138?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53138 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53138 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-2023-53138 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53138 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53138 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-2023-53138/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53138/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53138
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53138
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53138

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53138/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.