CVE-2023-53638 octeon_ep: cancel queued works in probe error path

What is CVE-2023-53638?

CVE-2023-53638 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 7 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:

octeon_ep: cancel queued works in probe error path

If it fails to get the devices's MAC address, octep_probe exits while leaving the delayed work intr_poll_task queued. When the work later runs, it's a use after free.

Move the cancelation of intr_poll_task from octep_remove into octep_device_cleanup. This does not change anything in the octep_remove flow, but octep_device_cleanup is called also in the octep_probe error path, where the cancelation is needed.

Note that the cancelation of ctrl_mbox_task has to follow intr_poll_task's, because the ctrl_mbox_task may be queued by intr_poll_task.

Weakness: CWE-416

Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53638?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Linux kernel.

How do I fix CVE-2023-53638?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.

Is CVE-2023-53638 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53638 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

• CVE-2026-53266 Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2013-6282 Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2022-0185 Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2013-2094 Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2026-53362 Linux Kernel Unspecified Exploited High 7.8

All Linux kernel vulnerabilities

Sources

• CVE record
• NVD
• OSV
• GitHub advisory
• How this page is made

Also known as BELL-CVE-2023-53638, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53638, GHSA-jg3h-cxcf-h3vq, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53638.