# CVE-2023-53387: scsi: ufs: core: Fix device management cmd timeout flow

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel UFS driver allows a local attacker to cause a system crash via a specific device management command timeout sequence.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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:** 18 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53387, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53387, GHSA-w6pv-gx3q-3r57, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2023-53387, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53387

## What is CVE-2023-53387?

CVE-2023-53387 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 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:

scsi: ufs: core: Fix device management cmd timeout flow

In the UFS error handling flow, the host will send a device management cmd
(NOP OUT) to the device for link recovery. If this cmd times out and
clearing the doorbell fails, ufshcd_wait_for_dev_cmd() will do nothing and
return. hba->dev_cmd.complete struct is not set to NULL.

When this happens, if cmd has been completed by device, then we will call
complete() in __ufshcd_transfer_req_compl(). Because the complete struct is
allocated on the stack, the following crash will occur:

  ipanic_die+0x24/0x38 [mrdump]
  die+0x344/0x748
  arm64_notify_die+0x44/0x104
  do_debug_exception+0x104/0x1e0
  el1_dbg+0x38/0x54
  el1_sync_handler+0x40/0x88
  el1_sync+0x8c/0x140
  queued_spin_lock_slowpath+0x2e4/0x3c0
  __ufshcd_transfer_req_compl+0x3b0/0x1164
  ufshcd_trc_handler+0x15c/0x308
  ufshcd_host_reset_and_restore+0x54/0x260
  ufshcd_reset_and_restore+0x28c/0x57c
  ufshcd_err_handler+0xeb8/0x1b6c
  process_one_work+0x288/0x964
  worker_thread+0x4bc/0xc7c
  kthread+0x15c/0x264
  ret_from_fork+0x10/0x30

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53387?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53387?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53387 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53387 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-2023-53387 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53387 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 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-2023-53387 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-2023-53387/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53387/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53387
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53387
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53387

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53387/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.