# CVE-2023-53586: scsi: target: Fix multiple LUN_RESET handling

> A race condition in Linux kernel SCSI target LUN_RESET handling can cause deadlocks or invalid task lookups, leading to denial of service.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 4 Oct 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53586, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53586, GHSA-8mqg-3fc7-qr47, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53586

## What is CVE-2023-53586?

CVE-2023-53586 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 Oct 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

scsi: target: Fix multiple LUN_RESET handling

This fixes a bug where an initiator thinks a LUN_RESET has cleaned up
running commands when it hasn't. The bug was added in commit 51ec502a3266
("target: Delete tmr from list before processing").

The problem occurs when:

 1. We have N I/O cmds running in the target layer spread over 2 sessions.

 2. The initiator sends a LUN_RESET for each session.

 3. session1's LUN_RESET loops over all the running commands from both
    sessions and moves them to its local drain_task_list.

 4. session2's LUN_RESET does not see the LUN_RESET from session1 because
    the commit above has it remove itself. session2 also does not see any
    commands since the other reset moved them off the state lists.

 5. sessions2's LUN_RESET will then complete with a successful response.

 6. sessions2's inititor believes the running commands on its session are
    now cleaned up due to the successful response and cleans up the running
    commands from its side. It then restarts them.

 7. The commands do eventually complete on the backend and the target
    starts to return aborted task statuses for them. The initiator will
    either throw a invalid ITT error or might accidentally lookup a new
    task if the ITT has been reallocated already.

Fix the bug by reverting the patch, and serialize the execution of
LUN_RESETs and Preempt and Aborts.

Also prevent us from waiting on LUN_RESETs in core_tmr_drain_tmr_list,
because it turns out the original patch fixed a bug that was not
mentioned. For LUN_RESET1 core_tmr_drain_tmr_list can see a second
LUN_RESET and wait on it. Then the second reset will run
core_tmr_drain_tmr_list and see the first reset and wait on it resulting in
a deadlock.

Weakness: CWE-415 (Double Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53586?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53586?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53586 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53586 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-2023-53586 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53586 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 Oct 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53586 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-2023-53586/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53586/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53586
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53586
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53586

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53586/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.