# CVE-2023-53560: tracing/histograms: Add histograms to hist_vars if they have referenced variables

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel tracing subsystem allows local attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges.

- **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:** 4 Oct 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53560, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53560, GHSA-g32r-xv9q-pp8r, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53560

## What is CVE-2023-53560?

CVE-2023-53560 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 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:

tracing/histograms: Add histograms to hist_vars if they have referenced variables

Hist triggers can have referenced variables without having direct
variables fields. This can be the case if referenced variables are added
for trigger actions. In this case the newly added references will not
have field variables. Not taking such referenced variables into
consideration can result in a bug where it would be possible to remove
hist trigger with variables being refenced. This will result in a bug
that is easily reproducable like so

$ cd /sys/kernel/tracing
$ echo 'synthetic_sys_enter char[] comm; long id' >> synthetic_events
$ echo 'hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:vals=hitcount:comm=common_pid.execname' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger
$ echo 'hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:onmatch(raw_syscalls.sys_enter).synthetic_sys_enter($comm, id)' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger
$ echo '!hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:vals=hitcount:comm=common_pid.execname' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger

[  100.263533] ==================================================================
[  100.264634] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[  100.265520] Read of size 8 at addr ffff88810375d0f0 by task bash/439
[  100.266320]
[  100.266533] CPU: 2 PID: 439 Comm: bash Not tainted 6.5.0-rc1 #4
[  100.267277] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.0-20220807_005459-localhost 04/01/2014
[  100.268561] Call Trace:
[  100.268902]  <TASK>
[  100.269189]  dump_stack_lvl+0x4c/0x70
[  100.269680]  print_report+0xc5/0x600
[  100.270165]  ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[  100.270697]  ? kasan_complete_mode_report_info+0x80/0x1f0
[  100.271389]  ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[  100.271913]  kasan_report+0xbd/0x100
[  100.272380]  ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[  100.272920]  __asan_load8+0x71/0xa0
[  100.273377]  resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[  100.273888]  event_hist_trigger+0x749/0x860
[  100.274505]  ? kasan_save_stack+0x2a/0x50
[  100.275024]  ? kasan_set_track+0x29/0x40
[  100.275536]  ? __pfx_event_hist_trigger+0x10/0x10
[  100.276138]  ? ksys_write+0xd1/0x170
[  100.276607]  ? do_syscall_64+0x3c/0x90
[  100.277099]  ? entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0xd8
[  100.277771]  ? destroy_hist_data+0x446/0x470
[  100.278324]  ? event_hist_trigger_parse+0xa6c/0x3860
[  100.278962]  ? __pfx_event_hist_trigger_parse+0x10/0x10
[  100.279627]  ? __kasan_check_write+0x18/0x20
[  100.280177]  ? mutex_unlock+0x85/0xd0
[  100.280660]  ? __pfx_mutex_unlock+0x10/0x10
[  100.281200]  ? kfree+0x7b/0x120
[  100.281619]  ? ____kasan_slab_free+0x15d/0x1d0
[  100.282197]  ? event_trigger_write+0xac/0x100
[  100.282764]  ? __kasan_slab_free+0x16/0x20
[  100.283293]  ? __kmem_cache_free+0x153/0x2f0
[  100.283844]  ? sched_mm_cid_remote_clear+0xb1/0x250
[  100.284550]  ? __pfx_sched_mm_cid_remote_clear+0x10/0x10
[  100.285221]  ? event_trigger_write+0xbc/0x100
[  100.285781]  ? __kasan_check_read+0x15/0x20
[  100.286321]  ? __bitmap_weight+0x66/0xa0
[  100.286833]  ? _find_next_bit+0x46/0xe0
[  100.287334]  ? task_mm_cid_work+0x37f/0x450
[  100.287872]  event_triggers_call+0x84/0x150
[  100.288408]  trace_event_buffer_commit+0x339/0x430
[  100.289073]  ? ring_buffer_event_data+0x3f/0x60
[  100.292189]  trace_event_raw_event_sys_enter+0x8b/0xe0
[  100.295434]  syscall_trace_enter.constprop.0+0x18f/0x1b0
[  100.298653]  syscall_enter_from_user_mode+0x32/0x40
[  100.301808]  do_syscall_64+0x1a/0x90
[  100.304748]  entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0xd8
[  100.307775] RIP: 0033:0x7f686c75c1cb
[  100.310617] Code: 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 65 3c 10 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48 83 c8 ff c3 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 90 f3 0f 1e fa b8 21 00 00 00 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 35 3c 10 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48
[  100.317847] RSP: 002b:00007ffc60137a38 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000021
[  100.321200] RA
---truncated---

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53560?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53560?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53560 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53560 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-2023-53560 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53560 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 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-2023-53560 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-2023-53560/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53560/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53560
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53560
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53560

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53560/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.