CVE-2023-53490
NoneCVSS
—
EPSS
0.1%
Published
Oct 1, 2025
CISA due date
—
Cloudanix analysis
A timing problem in network connection handling can cause computers to crash suddenly when many connections are opened and closed at once.
- Exploitation
- Local Privilege
- Attacker needs
- Local User
- Complexity
- Moderate
- Impact
- Denial Of Service
- Component
- OS kernel
- Class
- Race Condition
- Remediation
- Upgrade
- Effort
- Medium
- Patch risk
- Low
What it actually does
Race condition between mptcp_subflow_queue_clean and mptcp_stream_accept allows an msk socket to be accepted after the listener lock is released but before destructive cleanup, resulting in NULL pointer dereference and kernel oops.
Why it matters to the business
Systems using MPTCP may experience unexpected kernel crashes or instability during high-volume connection handling, leading to service outages and requiring reboots; widespread in Linux-based network infrastructure.
How an attack unfolds
An attacker triggers rapid disconnect or shutdown operations concurrent with incoming connection accepts on MPTCP sockets, racing the cleanup of pending request sockets against accept processing to dereference invalid memory and crash the kernel.
How to fix it
Upgrade to fixed kernel versions such as 6.1.46 or commit ded9f5551ce5cafa3c41c794428c27a0d0a00542; for affected Debian packages update libdbi-perl to 1.643-1 or later.
How to confirm the fix worked
Confirm kernel version matches or exceeds the listed fixed releases; attempt to reproduce the race with concurrent accept and disconnect workloads and verify absence of the NULL dereference oops.
Typical attack path
- Establish MPTCP listener socket
- Initiate concurrent disconnect/shutdown on subflows while queuing new connections
- Trigger accept syscall during the window after lock release but before destructive actions
- Cause NULL dereference in mptcp_stream_accept leading to kernel panic
How to detect it
Review kernel logs for oops messages referencing mptcp_stream_accept and NULL pointer dereference at address 0000000000000012; inspect crash dumps showing the race between accept and subflow cleanup.
What your security team should do
- Prioritize kernel upgrades on all MPTCP-enabled systems within the next maintenance window
- Monitor for kernel oops reports involving mptcp_stream_accept
- Temporarily disable MPTCP if immediate patching is not feasible on critical systems
The record
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mptcp: fix disconnect vs accept race Despite commit 0ad529d9fd2b ("mptcp: fix possible divide by zero in recvmsg()"), the mptcp protocol is still prone to a race between disconnect() (or shutdown) and accept. The root cause is that the mentioned commit checks the msk-level flag, but mptcp_stream_accept() does acquire the msk-level lock, as it can rely directly on the first subflow lock. As reported by Christoph than can lead to a race where an msk socket is accepted after that mptcp_subflow_queue_clean() releases the listener socket lock and just before it takes destructive actions leading to the following splat: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000012 PGD 5a4ca067 P4D 5a4ca067 PUD 37d4c067 PMD 0 Oops: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP CPU: 2 PID: 10955 Comm: syz-executor.5 Not tainted 6.5.0-rc1-gdc7b257ee5dd #37 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.11.0-2.el7 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:mptcp_stream_accept+0x1ee/0x2f0 include/net/inet_sock.h:330 Code: 0a 09 00 48 8b 1b 4c 39 e3 74 07 e8 bc 7c 7f fe eb a1 e8 b5 7c 7f fe 4c 8b 6c 24 08 eb 05 e8 a9 7c 7f fe 49 8b 85 d8 09 00 00 <0f> b6 40 12 88 44 24 07 0f b6 6c 24 07 bf 07 00 00 00 89 ee e8 89 RSP: 0018:ffffc90000d07dc0 EFLAGS: 00010293 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffff888037e8d020 RCX: ffff88803b093300 RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffffffff833822c5 RDI: ffffffff8333896a RBP: 0000607f82031520 R08: ffff88803b093300 R09: 0000000000000000 R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000003e83 R12: ffff888037e8d020 R13: ffff888037e8c680 R14: ffff888009af7900 R15: ffff888009af6880 FS: 00007fc26d708640(0000) GS:ffff88807dd00000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 0000000000000012 CR3: 0000000066bc5001 CR4: 0000000000370ee0 DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000 DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400 Call Trace: <TASK> do_accept+0x1ae/0x260 net/socket.c:1872 __sys_accept4+0x9b/0x110 net/socket.c:1913 __do_sys_accept4 net/socket.c:1954 [inline] __se_sys_accept4 net/socket.c:1951 [inline] __x64_sys_accept4+0x20/0x30 net/socket.c:1951 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x47/0xa0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0xd8 Address the issue by temporary removing the pending request socket from the accept queue, so that racing accept() can't touch them. After depleting the msk - the ssk still exists, as plain TCP sockets, re-insert them into the accept queue, so that later inet_csk_listen_stop() will complete the tcp socket disposal.
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Introduced | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Kernel | 0 | 6.1.46 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP6 | kernel-default | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 | kernel-default | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.53.22.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP6 | kernel-default | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP6 | kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6-RT_Update_16 | 0 | 1-150600.1.3.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP6 | kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6_Update_16 | 0 | 1-150600.13.3.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7 | kernel-default | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.53.22.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7 | kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_6 | 0 | 1-150700.15.3.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 | kernel-64kb | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 | kernel-default | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 | kernel-default-base | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1.150600.12.32.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 | kernel-source | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 | kernel-zfcpdump | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 | kernel-64kb | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.53.22.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 | kernel-default | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.53.22.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 | kernel-default-base | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.53.22.1.150700.17.15.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 | kernel-source | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.53.22.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 | kernel-zfcpdump | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.53.22.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP6 | kernel-docs | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP6 | kernel-obs-build | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP6 | kernel-source | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP6 | kernel-syms | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7 | kernel-docs | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.53.22.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7 | kernel-obs-build | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.53.22.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7 | kernel-source | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.53.22.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7 | kernel-syms | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.53.22.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy 15 SP6 | kernel-default | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy 15 SP7 | kernel-default | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.53.22.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 15 SP6 | kernel-azure | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.8.52.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 15 SP6 | kernel-source-azure | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.8.52.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 15 SP6 | kernel-syms-azure | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.8.52.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 15 SP7 | kernel-azure | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.20.18.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 15 SP7 | kernel-source-azure | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.20.18.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 15 SP7 | kernel-syms-azure | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.20.18.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP6 | kernel-default | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP7 | kernel-default | 0 | 6.4.0-150700.53.22.1 |
| SUSE:Real Time Module 15 SP6 | kernel-rt | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.10.55.1 |
| SUSE:Real Time Module 15 SP6 | kernel-rt_debug | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.10.55.1 |
| SUSE:Real Time Module 15 SP6 | kernel-source-rt | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.10.55.1 |
| SUSE:Real Time Module 15 SP6 | kernel-syms-rt | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.10.55.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | dtb-aarch64 | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-64kb | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-azure | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.8.52.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-debug | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-default | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-default-base | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1.150600.12.32.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-docs | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-kvmsmall | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-obs-build | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-obs-qa | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-rt | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.10.55.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-rt_debug | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.10.55.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-source | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-source-azure | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.8.52.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-source-rt | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.10.55.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-syms | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-syms-azure | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.8.52.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-syms-rt | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.10.55.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | kernel-zfcpdump | 0 | 6.4.0-150600.23.73.1 |
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