CVE-2023-54218 net: Fix load-tearing on sk->sk_stamp in sock_recv_cmsgs().

Not scored Published Updated

A data race in the Linux kernel's socket handling allows local attackers to potentially read inconsistent timestamp data.

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

What is CVE-2023-54218?

CVE-2023-54218 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 30 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:

net: Fix load-tearing on sk->sk_stamp in sock_recv_cmsgs().

KCSAN found a data race in sock_recv_cmsgs() where the read access to sk->sk_stamp needs READ_ONCE().

BUG: KCSAN: data-race in packet_recvmsg / packet_recvmsg

write (marked) to 0xffff88803c81f258 of 8 bytes by task 19171 on cpu 0: sock_write_timestamp include/net/sock.h:2670 [inline] sock_recv_cmsgs include/net/sock.h:2722 [inline] packet_recvmsg+0xb97/0xd00 net/packet/af_packet.c:3489 sock_recvmsg_nosec net/socket.c:1019 [inline] sock_recvmsg+0x11a/0x130 net/socket.c:1040 sock_read_iter+0x176/0x220 net/socket.c:1118 call_read_iter include/linux/fs.h:1845 [inline] new_sync_read fs/read_write.c:389 [inline] vfs_read+0x5e0/0x630 fs/read_write.c:470 ksys_read+0x163/0x1a0 fs/read_write.c:613 __do_sys_read fs/read_write.c:623 [inline] __se_sys_read fs/read_write.c:621 [inline] __x64_sys_read+0x41/0x50 fs/read_write.c:621 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x3b/0x90 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc

read to 0xffff88803c81f258 of 8 bytes by task 19183 on cpu 1: sock_recv_cmsgs include/net/sock.h:2721 [inline] packet_recvmsg+0xb64/0xd00 net/packet/af_packet.c:3489 sock_recvmsg_nosec net/socket.c:1019 [inline] sock_recvmsg+0x11a/0x130 net/socket.c:1040 sock_read_iter+0x176/0x220 net/socket.c:1118 call_read_iter include/linux/fs.h:1845 [inline] new_sync_read fs/read_write.c:389 [inline] vfs_read+0x5e0/0x630 fs/read_write.c:470 ksys_read+0x163/0x1a0 fs/read_write.c:613 __do_sys_read fs/read_write.c:623 [inline] __se_sys_read fs/read_write.c:621 [inline] __x64_sys_read+0x41/0x50 fs/read_write.c:621 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x3b/0x90 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc

value changed: 0xffffffffc4653600 -> 0x0000000000000000

Reported by Kernel Concurrency Sanitizer on: CPU: 1 PID: 19183 Comm: syz-executor.5 Not tainted 6.3.0-rc7-02330-gca6270c12e20 #2 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.16.0-0-gd239552ce722-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014

Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-54218?

How do I fix CVE-2023-54218?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Is CVE-2023-54218 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-54218 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as BELL-CVE-2023-54218, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54218, GHSA-pjmr-2x65-8v9f, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54218.

Is CVE-2023-54218 in your software?

Upload an SBOM and sbomify checks it against every vulnerability here, every day.

Check your SBOMs for free