CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2023-53291 — Linux Linux Kernel security vulnerability

Medium CVSS 5.5

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: rcu/rcuscale: Stop kfree_scale_thread thread(s) after unloading rcuscale Running the 'kfree_rcu_test' test case [1] results in a splat [2]. The root cause is the kfree_scale_thread thread(s) continue running after unloading the rcuscale module. This commit fixes that isue by invoking kfree_scale_cleanup() from rcu_scale_cleanup() when removing the rcuscale module. [1] modprobe rcuscale kfree_rcu_test=1 // After some time rmmod rcuscale rmmod torture [2] BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffffffc0601a87 #PF: supervisor instruction fetch in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0010) - not-present page PGD 11de4f067 P4D 11de4f067 PUD 11de51067 PMD 112f4d067 PTE 0 Oops: 0010 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI CPU: 1 PID: 1798 Comm: kfree_scale_thr Not tainted 6.3.0-rc1-rcu+ #1 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015 RIP: 0010:0xffffffffc0601a87 Code: Unable to access opcode bytes at 0xffffffffc0601a5d. RSP: 0018:ffffb25bc2e57e18 EFLAGS: 00010297 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffffffffc061f0b6 RCX: 0000000000000000 RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffffffff962fd0de RDI: ffffffff962fd0de RBP: ffffb25…

Severity
Medium
CVSS
5.5 (3.1)
Published
2025-09-16
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
linux/kernel

Affected products

  • linux / linux_kernel

Showing 1 representative product identities from 5 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

General vulnerability remediation

This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.

Check exposure

  • Confirm the affected component, deployment paths, reachable interfaces, and enabled features from inventories and configuration, without probing production destructively.
  • Compare the advisory's affected conditions with the repository lockfiles, build manifests, artifacts, and runtime inventory.
  • Identify data sensitivity, trust boundaries, and privilege level for every confirmed affected deployment.

Remediate safely

  • Apply a vendor-supported fix or remove the affected component or feature; record the selected change and its source in the repository.
  • Update direct and transitive dependency locks, generated artifacts, deployment manifests, and asset inventories together.
  • Add a regression test for the documented unsafe condition using inert inputs and preserve rollback instructions.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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