high CVSS 7.8 EPSS <0.1%

CVE-2023-52851·Kernel vulnerability

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: IB/mlx5: Fix init stage error handling to avoid double free of same QP and UAF In the unlikely event that workqueue allocation fails and returns NULL in mlx5_mkey_cache_init(), delete the call to mlx5r_umr_resource_cleanup() (which frees the QP) in mlx5_ib_stage_post_ib_reg_umr_init(). This will avoid attempted double free of the same QP when __mlx5_ib_add() does its cleanup. Resolves a splat: Syzkaller reported a UAF in ib_destroy_qp_user workqueue: Failed to create a rescuer kthread for wq "mkey_cache": -EINTR infiniband mlx5_0: mlx5_mkey_cache_init:981:(pid 1642): failed to create work queue infiniband mlx5_0: mlx5_ib_stage_post_ib_reg_umr_init:4075:(pid 1642): mr cache init failed -12 ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ib_destroy_qp_user (drivers/infiniband/core/verbs.c:2073) Read of size 8 at addr ffff88810da310a8 by task repro_upstream/1642 Call Trace: <TASK> kasan_report (mm/kasan/report.c:590) ib_destroy_qp_user (drivers/infiniband/core/verbs.c:2073) mlx5r_umr_resource_cleanup (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/umr.c:198) __mlx5_ib_add (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4178) mlx5r_probe (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4402) ... </TASK> Allocated by task 1642: __kmalloc (./include/linux/kasan.h:198 mm/slab_common.c:1026 mm/slab_common.c:1039) create_qp (./include/linux/slab.h:603 ./include/linux/slab.h:720 ./include/rdma/ib_verbs.h:2795 drivers/infiniband/core/verbs.c:1209) ib_create_qp_kernel (drivers/infiniband/core/verbs.c:1347) mlx5r_umr_resource_init (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/umr.c:164) mlx5_ib_stage_post_ib_reg_umr_init (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4070) __mlx5_ib_add (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4168) mlx5r_probe (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4402) ... Freed by task 1642: __kmem_cache_free (mm/slub.c:1826 mm/slub.c:3809 mm/slub.c:3822) ib_destroy_qp_user (drivers/infiniband/core/verbs.c:2112) mlx5r_umr_resource_cleanup (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/umr.c:198) mlx5_ib_stage_post_ib_reg_umr_init (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4076 drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4065) __mlx5_ib_add (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4168) mlx5r_probe (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4402) ...

Severity
high
Software
Kernel
Fixed in
6.6.2
Published

How likely is exploitation

FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System puts the probability of this CVE being exploited in the next 30 days at <0.1% — higher than 6% of all published CVEs. EPSS is an independent forecast of exploitation, not a severity rating: it says nothing about how much damage a successful attack does, which is what a CVSS score measures.

Read the two together. CVE-2023-52851 scores 7.8 on CVSS, so a successful attack would be serious — but at <0.1%, almost nobody is currently attempting it. That is a different situation from a flaw under mass exploitation, and it is usually the difference between patching on your next maintenance window and patching tonight.

Affected versions

From: 6.6

Until: 6.6.2

Fixed in: 6.6.2

How to fix this CVE

Update the Linux kernel to version 6.6.2 or later to fix a double-free vulnerability in the MLX5 InfiniBand driver's QP (Queue Pair) initialization. This flaw occurs when workqueue allocation fails during mkey cache initialization, causing the kernel to attempt freeing the same QP twice during error handling. Affected systems running kernel versions 6.6 through 6.6.1 should prioritize this update immediately.

sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Step 1: Check your kernel version with `uname -r` and compare against 6.6.2 — vulnerable versions are 6.6, 6.6.1
  2. Step 2: Verify MLX5 InfiniBand driver is loaded by running `lsmod | grep mlx5` — if present, your system uses the affected code path
  3. Step 3: Search system logs for mkey_cache initialization failures with `grep -i 'mlx5_mkey_cache_init\|failed to create work queue' /var/log/kern.log /var/log/syslog` — these indicate exposure to the bug trigger
  4. Step 4: After patching, confirm the new kernel version with `uname -r` to ensure 6.6.2 or higher is running

FAQ

What is CVE-2023-52851?

CVE-2023-52851 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's MLX5 InfiniBand driver where a failed workqueue allocation during initialization causes the kernel to free the same Queue Pair twice, corrupting memory and triggering a kernel crash.

Is CVE-2023-52851 being actively exploited?

No, CVE-2023-52851 is not listed as actively exploited by CISA and has no known public exploits. It is primarily a stability issue triggered by resource exhaustion.

What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2023-52851?

Linux kernel versions 6.6, 6.6.1, and 6.6.2 (before the fix). All systems running 6.6.0 through 6.6.1 are vulnerable; the fix is included starting with 6.6.2.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2023-52851?

Run `uname -r` to see your kernel version. If it shows 6.6.0 or 6.6.1 and `lsmod | grep mlx5` shows the driver is loaded, your system is vulnerable. Run a full system update to patch.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2023-52851?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If the Linux kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2023-52851 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

Related Kernel CVEs

CVE-2026-63795CVSS 10In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: 9p: avoid putting oldfid in p9_client_walk() error path When p9_client_walk() is called with clone set to false, fid aliases oldfid. If the walk subsequently fails after the request has been sent, the error path jumps to clunk_fid, which currently calls p9_fid_put(fid) unconditionally. This drops a reference to oldfid even though ownership of oldfid remains with the caller. If this is the last reference, oldfid can be clunked and destroyed while the caller still expects it to be valid. A later use or put of oldfid can then trigger a use-after-free or refcount underflow. Fix this by only putting fid in the clunk_fid error path when it does not alias oldfid, matching the existing guard in the error path below. This can be triggered when a multi-component walk is split into multiple p9_client_walk() calls and a later non-cloning walk fails. A reproducer and refcount warning logs are available on request.
CVE-2026-53398CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: NFSD: Fix SECINFO_NO_NAME decode error cleanup nfsd4_decode_secinfo_no_name() currently initializes sin_exp after decoding sin_style. If the XDR stream is truncated, the decoder returns nfserr_bad_xdr before sin_exp is initialized. Since commit 3fdc54646234 ("NFSD: Reduce amount of struct nfsd4_compoundargs that needs clearing"), the inline iops array is not cleared between RPC calls. A failed SECINFO_NO_NAME decode can therefore leave sin_exp holding stale union contents from a previous operation. The error response path still invokes nfsd4_secinfo_no_name_release(), which calls exp_put() on a non-NULL sin_exp. Initialize sin_exp before the first failable decode step, matching nfsd4_decode_secinfo().
CVE-2026-64268CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/siw: bound Read Response placement to the RREAD length In drivers/infiniband/sw/siw/siw_qp_rx.c, siw_proc_rresp() places each inbound Read Response DDP segment at sge->laddr + wqe->processed and then accumulates wqe->processed, but it never checks the running total against the sink buffer length on continuation segments. siw_check_sge() resolves and validates the sink memory only on the first fragment (the if (!*mem) branch), and siw_rresp_check_ntoh() compares the cumulative length against wqe->bytes only on the final segment (the !frx->more_ddp_segs guard). A connected siw peer that answers an outstanding RREAD with Read Response segments that keep the DDP Last flag clear, carrying more total payload than the RREAD requested, drives wqe->processed past the validated sink buffer; the next siw_rx_data() call writes out of bounds at sge->laddr + wqe->processed. siw runs iWARP over ordinary routable TCP, so the peer is the remote end of an established RDMA connection and needs no local privilege. Bound every segment before placement, exactly as siw_proc_send() and siw_proc_write() already do for their tagged and untagged paths, and terminate the connection with a base-or-bounds DDP error when the Read Response would overrun the sink buffer. This is the second receive-path length fix for this file. A separate change rejects an MPA FPDU length that underflows the per-fragment remainder in the header decode; that guard does not cover this case, because here each individual segment length is self-consistent and only the accumulated placement offset overruns the buffer.
CVE-2026-53228CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: sit: reload inner IPv6 header after GSO offloads ipip6_tunnel_xmit() caches the inner IPv6 header pointer at function entry and continues using it after iptunnel_handle_offloads(). For GSO skbs, iptunnel_handle_offloads() calls skb_header_unclone(). When the skb header is cloned, skb_header_unclone() can call pskb_expand_head(), which may move the skb head. The pskb_expand_head() contract requires pointers into the skb header to be reloaded after the call. If the later skb_realloc_headroom() branch is not taken, SIT uses the stale iph6 pointer to read the inner hop limit and DS field. That can read from a freed skb head after the old head's remaining clone is released. Reload iph6 after the offload helper succeeds and before subsequent reads from the inner IPv6 header. Keep the existing reload after skb_realloc_headroom(), since that branch can also replace the skb.
CVE-2026-53384CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: serial: 8250_dw: unregister 8250 port if clk_notifier_register() fails dw8250_probe() registers the 8250 port via serial8250_register_8250_port() and then, if the device has a clock, registers a clock notifier. If clk_notifier_register() fails, probe returns the error but leaves the 8250 port registered. The matching serial8250_unregister_port() lives in dw8250_remove(), which is not called when probe fails, so the port slot stays occupied until the device is rebound or the system is rebooted. The devm-allocated driver data is freed while the port still references it (via the saved private_data and serial_in/serial_out callbacks), so any access to that port slot before a rebind is a use-after-free hazard. Unregister the port on the clk_notifier_register() error path.

References

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