# 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.

- **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:** 15 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53167, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53167, GHSA-xcgf-679w-pgvp, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53167

## 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 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53167?

It affects 1 product.


Products: 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

- [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-2023-53167 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53167 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-2023-53167/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53167/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53167
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53167
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53167

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53167/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.