# CVE-2023-53853: netlink: annotate accesses to nlk->cb_running

> A data race in the Linux kernel netlink subsystem can lead to a kernel crash, requiring local access to exploit.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **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:** 9 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53853, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53853, GHSA-5rcq-g6mp-85jf, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53853

## What is CVE-2023-53853?

CVE-2023-53853 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 9 Dec 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:

netlink: annotate accesses to nlk->cb_running

Both netlink_recvmsg() and netlink_native_seq_show() read
nlk->cb_running locklessly. Use READ_ONCE() there.

Add corresponding WRITE_ONCE() to netlink_dump() and
__netlink_dump_start()

syzbot reported:
BUG: KCSAN: data-race in __netlink_dump_start / netlink_recvmsg

write to 0xffff88813ea4db59 of 1 bytes by task 28219 on cpu 0:
__netlink_dump_start+0x3af/0x4d0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2399
netlink_dump_start include/linux/netlink.h:308 [inline]
rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x70f/0x8c0 net/core/rtnetlink.c:6130
netlink_rcv_skb+0x126/0x220 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2577
rtnetlink_rcv+0x1c/0x20 net/core/rtnetlink.c:6192
netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1339 [inline]
netlink_unicast+0x56f/0x640 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1365
netlink_sendmsg+0x665/0x770 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1942
sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:724 [inline]
sock_sendmsg net/socket.c:747 [inline]
sock_write_iter+0x1aa/0x230 net/socket.c:1138
call_write_iter include/linux/fs.h:1851 [inline]
new_sync_write fs/read_write.c:491 [inline]
vfs_write+0x463/0x760 fs/read_write.c:584
ksys_write+0xeb/0x1a0 fs/read_write.c:637
__do_sys_write fs/read_write.c:649 [inline]
__se_sys_write fs/read_write.c:646 [inline]
__x64_sys_write+0x42/0x50 fs/read_write.c:646
do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline]
do_syscall_64+0x41/0xc0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd

read to 0xffff88813ea4db59 of 1 bytes by task 28222 on cpu 1:
netlink_recvmsg+0x3b4/0x730 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2022
sock_recvmsg_nosec+0x4c/0x80 net/socket.c:1017
____sys_recvmsg+0x2db/0x310 net/socket.c:2718
___sys_recvmsg net/socket.c:2762 [inline]
do_recvmmsg+0x2e5/0x710 net/socket.c:2856
__sys_recvmmsg net/socket.c:2935 [inline]
__do_sys_recvmmsg net/socket.c:2958 [inline]
__se_sys_recvmmsg net/socket.c:2951 [inline]
__x64_sys_recvmmsg+0xe2/0x160 net/socket.c:2951
do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline]
do_syscall_64+0x41/0xc0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd

value changed: 0x00 -> 0x01

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53853?


## How do I fix CVE-2023-53853?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53853 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53853 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-53853 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53853 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 9 Dec 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-2023-53853 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2023-53853/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53853/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53853
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53853
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53853

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53853/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.