CVE-2023-53140 scsi: core: Remove the /proc/scsi/${proc_name} directory earlier
A race condition in the Linux kernel SCSI core during module reload can cause a kernel warning and potential denial of service.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2023-53140?
CVE-2023-53140 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 2 May 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
scsi: core: Remove the /proc/scsi/${proc_name} directory earlier
Remove the /proc/scsi/${proc_name} directory earlier to fix a race condition between unloading and reloading kernel modules. This fixes a bug introduced in 2009 by commit 77c019768f06 ("[SCSI] fix /proc memory leak in the SCSI core").
Fix the following kernel warning:
proc_dir_entry 'scsi/scsi_debug' already registered WARNING: CPU: 19 PID: 27986 at fs/proc/generic.c:376 proc_register+0x27d/0x2e0 Call Trace: proc_mkdir+0xb5/0xe0 scsi_proc_hostdir_add+0xb5/0x170 scsi_host_alloc+0x683/0x6c0 sdebug_driver_probe+0x6b/0x2d0 [scsi_debug] really_probe+0x159/0x540 __driver_probe_device+0xdc/0x230 driver_probe_device+0x4f/0x120 __device_attach_driver+0xef/0x180 bus_for_each_drv+0xe5/0x130 __device_attach+0x127/0x290 device_initial_probe+0x17/0x20 bus_probe_device+0x110/0x130 device_add+0x673/0xc80 device_register+0x1e/0x30 sdebug_add_host_helper+0x1a7/0x3b0 [scsi_debug] scsi_debug_init+0x64f/0x1000 [scsi_debug] do_one_initcall+0xd7/0x470 do_init_module+0xe7/0x330 load_module+0x122a/0x12c0 __do_sys_finit_module+0x124/0x1a0 __x64_sys_finit_module+0x46/0x50 do_syscall_64+0x38/0x80 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0
Weakness: CWE-401
Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53140?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2023-53140?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2023-53140 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53140 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2023-53140, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53140, GHSA-q49r-x4cq-74fc, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53140.