# CVE-2023-53428: powercap: arm_scmi: Remove recursion while parsing zones

> A recursive algorithm in the Linux kernel's ARM SCMI powercap driver can cause a stack overflow, leading to 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:** 18 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53428, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53428, GHSA-354h-3w43-8pjm, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53428

## What is CVE-2023-53428?

CVE-2023-53428 is a medium-severity denial of service 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:

powercap: arm_scmi: Remove recursion while parsing zones

Powercap zones can be defined as arranged in a hierarchy of trees and when
registering a zone with powercap_register_zone(), the kernel powercap
subsystem expects this to happen starting from the root zones down to the
leaves; on the other side, de-registration by powercap_deregister_zone()
must begin from the leaf zones.

Available SCMI powercap zones are retrieved dynamically from the platform
at probe time and, while any defined hierarchy between the zones is
described properly in the zones descriptor, the platform returns the
availables zones with no particular well-defined order: as a consequence,
the trees possibly composing the hierarchy of zones have to be somehow
walked properly to register the retrieved zones from the root.

Currently the ARM SCMI Powercap driver walks the zones using a recursive
algorithm; this approach, even though correct and tested can lead to kernel
stack overflow when processing a returned hierarchy of zones composed by
particularly high trees.

Avoid possible kernel stack overflow by substituting the recursive approach
with an iterative one supported by a dynamically allocated stack-like data
structure.

Weakness: CWE-674 (Uncontrolled Recursion)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53428?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53428?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53428 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53428 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-2023-53428 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53428 is a medium-severity denial of service 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-2023-53428 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-2023-53428/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53428/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53428
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53428
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53428

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53428/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.