# CVE-2023-53291: rcu/rcuscale: Stop kfree_scale_thread thread(s) after unloading rcuscale

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's rcuscale module allows a local attacker to cause a system crash by unloading the module while test threads are running.

- **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:** 16 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53291, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53291, GHSA-7472-5646-8g66, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53291

## What is CVE-2023-53291?

CVE-2023-53291 is a medium-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 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:

rcu/rcuscale: Stop kfree_scale_thread thread(s) after unloading rcuscale

Running the 'kfree_rcu_test' test case [1] results in a splat [2].
The root cause is the kfree_scale_thread thread(s) continue running
after unloading the rcuscale module.  This commit fixes that isue by
invoking kfree_scale_cleanup() from rcu_scale_cleanup() when removing
the rcuscale module.

[1] modprobe rcuscale kfree_rcu_test=1
    // After some time
    rmmod rcuscale
    rmmod torture

[2] BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffffffc0601a87
    #PF: supervisor instruction fetch in kernel mode
    #PF: error_code(0x0010) - not-present page
    PGD 11de4f067 P4D 11de4f067 PUD 11de51067 PMD 112f4d067 PTE 0
    Oops: 0010 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI
    CPU: 1 PID: 1798 Comm: kfree_scale_thr Not tainted 6.3.0-rc1-rcu+ #1
    Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015
    RIP: 0010:0xffffffffc0601a87
    Code: Unable to access opcode bytes at 0xffffffffc0601a5d.
    RSP: 0018:ffffb25bc2e57e18 EFLAGS: 00010297
    RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffffffffc061f0b6 RCX: 0000000000000000
    RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffffffff962fd0de RDI: ffffffff962fd0de
    RBP: ffffb25bc2e57ea8 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000000
    R10: 0000000000000001 R11: 0000000000000001 R12: 0000000000000000
    R13: 0000000000000000 R14: 000000000000000a R15: 00000000001c1dbe
    FS:  0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff921fa2200000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
    CS:  0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
    CR2: ffffffffc0601a5d CR3: 000000011de4c006 CR4: 0000000000370ee0
    DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000
    DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400
    Call Trace:
     <TASK>
     ? kvfree_call_rcu+0xf0/0x3a0
     ? kthread+0xf3/0x120
     ? kthread_complete_and_exit+0x20/0x20
     ? ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30
     </TASK>
    Modules linked in: rfkill sunrpc ... [last unloaded: torture]
    CR2: ffffffffc0601a87
    ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53291?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53291?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53291 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53291 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-2023-53291 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53291 is a medium-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 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-2023-53291 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-2023-53291/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53291/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53291
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53291
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53291

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53291/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.