CVE-2023-53167 tracing: Fix null pointer dereference in tracing_err_log_open()
A local attacker with root privileges can trigger a kernel panic via a null pointer dereference in the tracing subsystem, causing a 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-2023-53167?
CVE-2023-53167 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 15 Sep 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:
tracing: Fix null pointer dereference in tracing_err_log_open()
Fix an issue in function 'tracing_err_log_open'. The function doesn't call 'seq_open' if the file is opened only with write permissions, which results in 'file->private_data' being left as null. If we then use 'lseek' on that opened file, 'seq_lseek' dereferences 'file->private_data' in 'mutex_lock(&m->lock)', resulting in a kernel panic. Writing to this node requires root privileges, therefore this bug has very little security impact.
Tracefs node: /sys/kernel/tracing/error_log
Example Kernel panic:
Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000038 Call trace: mutex_lock+0x30/0x110 seq_lseek+0x34/0xb8 __arm64_sys_lseek+0x6c/0xb8 invoke_syscall+0x58/0x13c el0_svc_common+0xc4/0x10c do_el0_svc+0x24/0x98 el0_svc+0x24/0x88 el0t_64_sync_handler+0x84/0xe4 el0t_64_sync+0x1b4/0x1b8 Code: d503201f aa0803e0 aa1f03e1 aa0103e9 (c8e97d02) ---[ end trace 561d1b49c12cf8a5 ]--- Kernel panic - not syncing: Oops: Fatal exception
Weakness: CWE-476
Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53167?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2023-53167?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2023-53167 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53167 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2023-53167, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53167, GHSA-xcgf-679w-pgvp, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167.