# 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.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53140, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53140, GHSA-q49r-x4cq-74fc, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53140

## 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 (Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53140?

It affects 1 product.


Products: 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

- [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-2023-53140 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53140 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-2023-53140/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53140/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53140
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53140
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53140

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53140/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.