CVE-2023-53442 ice: Block switchdev mode when ADQ is active and vice versa
Enabling both ADQ and switchdev modes simultaneously in the Intel ice driver causes a null pointer dereference, leading to a denial of service.
- 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
What is CVE-2023-53442?
CVE-2023-53442 is a medium-severity 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:
ice: Block switchdev mode when ADQ is active and vice versa
ADQ and switchdev are not supported simultaneously. Enabling both at the same time can result in nullptr dereference.
To prevent this, check if ADQ is active when changing devlink mode to switchdev mode, and check if switchdev is active when enabling ADQ.
Weakness: CWE-476
Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53442?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2023-53442?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2023-53442 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53442 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2023-53442, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53442, GHSA-4r9g-c2fj-783p, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53442.