# CVE-2023-53351: drm/sched: Check scheduler work queue before calling timeout handling

> A race condition in the Linux kernel DRM scheduler can cause a null pointer dereference and system crash during GPU reset tests.

- **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:** 17 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53351, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53351, GHSA-3jgj-55q7-3rwv, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53351

## What is CVE-2023-53351?

CVE-2023-53351 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 17 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:

drm/sched: Check scheduler work queue before calling timeout handling

During an IGT GPU reset test we see again oops despite of
commit 0c8c901aaaebc9 (drm/sched: Check scheduler ready before calling
timeout handling).

It uses ready condition whether to call drm_sched_fault which unwind
the TDR leads to GPU reset.
However it looks the ready condition is overloaded with other meanings,
for example, for the following stack is related GPU reset :

0  gfx_v9_0_cp_gfx_start
1  gfx_v9_0_cp_gfx_resume
2  gfx_v9_0_cp_resume
3  gfx_v9_0_hw_init
4  gfx_v9_0_resume
5  amdgpu_device_ip_resume_phase2

does the following:
	/* start the ring */
	gfx_v9_0_cp_gfx_start(adev);
	ring->sched.ready = true;

The same approach is for other ASICs as well :
gfx_v8_0_cp_gfx_resume
gfx_v10_0_kiq_resume, etc...

As a result, our GPU reset test causes GPU fault which calls unconditionally gfx_v9_0_fault
and then drm_sched_fault. However now it depends on whether the interrupt service routine
drm_sched_fault is executed after gfx_v9_0_cp_gfx_start is completed which sets the ready
field of the scheduler to true even  for uninitialized schedulers and causes oops vs
no fault or when ISR  drm_sched_fault is completed prior  gfx_v9_0_cp_gfx_start and
NULL pointer dereference does not occur.

Use the field timeout_wq  to prevent oops for uninitialized schedulers.
The field could be initialized by the work queue of resetting the domain.

v1: Corrections to commit message (Luben)

Weakness: CWE-908 (Use of Uninitialized Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53351?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53351?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53351 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53351 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-2023-53351 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53351 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 17 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-2023-53351 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-2023-53351/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53351/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53351
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53351
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53351

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53351/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.