CVE-2023-53105: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5e: Fix cleanup null-ptr deref on encap lock During module is unloaded wh...

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5e: Fix cleanup null-ptr deref on encap lock During module is unloaded while a peer tc flow is still offloaded, first the peer uplink rep profile is changed to a nic profile, and so neigh encap lock is destroyed. Next during unload, the VF reps netdevs are unregistered which causes the original non-peer tc flow to be deleted, which deletes the peer flow. The peer flow deletion detaches the encap entry and try to take the already destroyed encap lock, causing the below trace. Fix this by clearing peer flows during tc eswitch cleanup (mlx5e_tc_esw_cleanup()). Relevant trace: [ 4316.837128] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 00000000000001d8 [ 4316.842239] RIP: 0010:__mutex_lock+0xb5/0xc40 [ 4316.851897] Call Trace: [ 4316.852481] <TASK> [ 4316.857214] mlx5e_rep_neigh_entry_release+0x93/0x790 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.858258] mlx5e_rep_encap_entry_detach+0xa7/0xf0 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.859134] mlx5e_encap_dealloc+0xa3/0xf0 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.859867] clean_encap_dests.part.0+0x5c/0xe0 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.860605] mlx5e_tc_del_fdb_flow+0x32a/0x810 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.862609] __mlx5e_tc_del_fdb_peer_flow+0x1a2/0x250 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.863394] mlx5e_tc_del_flow+0x(/0x630 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.864090] mlx5e_flow_put+0x5f/0x100 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.864771] mlx5e_delete_flower+0x4de/0xa40 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.865486] tc_setup_cb_reoffload+0x20/0x80 [ 4316.865905] fl_reoffload+0x47c/0x510 [cls_flower] [ 4316.869181] tcf_block_playback_offloads+0x91/0x1d0 [ 4316.869649] tcf_block_unbind+0xe7/0x1b0 [ 4316.870049] tcf_block_offload_cmd.isra.0+0x1ee/0x270 [ 4316.879266] tcf_block_offload_unbind+0x61/0xa0 [ 4316.879711] __tcf_block_put+0xa4/0x310

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.16%

5.3th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-476

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.0, < 6.1.21	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.2, < 6.2.8	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	6.3	Rc1

References

Timeline

Published: May 2, 2025
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-53105?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5e: Fix cleanup null-ptr deref on encap lock During module is unloaded while a peer tc flow is still offloaded, first the peer uplink rep profile is changed to a nic profile, and so neigh encap lock is destroyed. Next during unload, the VF reps netdevs are unregistered which causes the original non-peer tc flow to be deleted, which deletes the peer flow. The peer flow deletion detaches the encap entry and try to take the already destroyed encap lock, causing the below trace. Fix this by clearing peer flows during tc eswitch cleanup (mlx5e_tc_esw_cleanup()). Relevant trace: [ 4316.837128] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 00000000000001d8 [ 4316.842239] RIP: 0010:__mutex_lock+0xb5/0xc40 [ 4316.851897] Call Trace: [ 4316.852481] <TASK> [ 4316.857214] mlx5e_rep_neigh_entry_release+0x93/0x790 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.858258] mlx5e_rep_encap_entry_detach+0xa7/0xf0 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.859134] mlx5e_encap_dealloc+0xa3/0xf0 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.859867] clean_encap_dests.part.0+0x5c/0xe0 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.860605] mlx5e_tc_del_fdb_flow+0x32a/0x810 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.862609] __mlx5e_tc_del_fdb_peer_flow+0x1a2/0x250 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.863394] mlx5e_tc_del_flow+0x(/0x630 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.864090] mlx5e_flow_put+0x5f/0x100 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.864771] mlx5e_delete_flower+0x4de/0xa40 [mlx5_core] [ 4316.865486] tc_setup_cb_reoffload+0x20/0x80 [ 4316.865905] fl_reoffload+0x47c/0x510 [cls_flower] [ 4316.869181] tcf_block_playback_offloads+0x91/0x1d0 [ 4316.869649] tcf_block_unbind+0xe7/0x1b0 [ 4316.870049] tcf_block_offload_cmd.isra.0+0x1ee/0x270 [ 4316.879266] tcf_block_offload_unbind+0x61/0xa0 [ 4316.879711] __tcf_block_put+0xa4/0x310

How severe is CVE-2023-53105?

CVE-2023-53105 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.16% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-53105?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.