# CVE-2023-53531: null_blk: fix poll request timeout handling

> A race condition in the Linux kernel null_blk driver causes a NULL pointer dereference and kernel crash when poll requests timeout.

- **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:** 1 Oct 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53531, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53531, GHSA-vv6q-p28j-9w24, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53531

## What is CVE-2023-53531?

CVE-2023-53531 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 1 Oct 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:

null_blk: fix poll request timeout handling

When doing io_uring benchmark on /dev/nullb0, it's easy to crash the
kernel if poll requests timeout triggered, as reported by David. [1]

BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000008
Workqueue: kblockd blk_mq_timeout_work
RIP: 0010:null_timeout_rq+0x4e/0x91
Call Trace:
 ? null_timeout_rq+0x4e/0x91
 blk_mq_handle_expired+0x31/0x4b
 bt_iter+0x68/0x84
 ? bt_tags_iter+0x81/0x81
 __sbitmap_for_each_set.constprop.0+0xb0/0xf2
 ? __blk_mq_complete_request_remote+0xf/0xf
 bt_for_each+0x46/0x64
 ? __blk_mq_complete_request_remote+0xf/0xf
 ? percpu_ref_get_many+0xc/0x2a
 blk_mq_queue_tag_busy_iter+0x14d/0x18e
 blk_mq_timeout_work+0x95/0x127
 process_one_work+0x185/0x263
 worker_thread+0x1b5/0x227

This is indeed a race problem between null_timeout_rq() and null_poll().

null_poll()				null_timeout_rq()
  spin_lock(&nq->poll_lock)
  list_splice_init(&nq->poll_list, &list)
  spin_unlock(&nq->poll_lock)

  while (!list_empty(&list))
    req = list_first_entry()
    list_del_init()
    ...
    blk_mq_add_to_batch()
    // req->rq_next = NULL
					spin_lock(&nq->poll_lock)

					// rq->queuelist->next == NULL
					list_del_init(&rq->queuelist)

					spin_unlock(&nq->poll_lock)

Fix these problems by setting requests state to MQ_RQ_COMPLETE under
nq->poll_lock protection, in which null_timeout_rq() can safely detect
this race and early return.

Note this patch just fix the kernel panic when request timeout happen.

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/3893581.1691785261@warthog.procyon.org.uk/

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53531?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53531?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53531 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53531 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-2023-53531 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53531 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 1 Oct 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-2023-53531 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-2023-53531/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53531/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53531
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53531
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53531

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53531/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.