CVE-2023-53660: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf, cpumap: Handle skb as well when clean up ptr_ring The following warning was...

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf, cpumap: Handle skb as well when clean up ptr_ring The following warning was reported when running xdp_redirect_cpu with both skb-mode and stress-mode enabled: ------------[ cut here ]------------ Incorrect XDP memory type (-2128176192) usage WARNING: CPU: 7 PID: 1442 at net/core/xdp.c:405 Modules linked in: CPU: 7 PID: 1442 Comm: kworker/7:0 Tainted: G 6.5.0-rc2+ #1 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996) Workqueue: events __cpu_map_entry_free RIP: 0010:__xdp_return+0x1e4/0x4a0 ...... Call Trace: <TASK> ? show_regs+0x65/0x70 ? __warn+0xa5/0x240 ? __xdp_return+0x1e4/0x4a0 ...... xdp_return_frame+0x4d/0x150 __cpu_map_entry_free+0xf9/0x230 process_one_work+0x6b0/0xb80 worker_thread+0x96/0x720 kthread+0x1a5/0x1f0 ret_from_fork+0x3a/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1b/0x30 </TASK> The reason for the warning is twofold. One is due to the kthread cpu_map_kthread_run() is stopped prematurely. Another one is __cpu_map_ring_cleanup() doesn't handle skb mode and treats skbs in ptr_ring as XDP frames. Prematurely-stopped kthread will be fixed by the preceding patch and ptr_ring will be empty when __cpu_map_ring_cleanup() is called. But as the comments in __cpu_map_ring_cleanup() said, handling and freeing skbs in ptr_ring as well to "catch any broken behaviour gracefully".

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

0.14%

3.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.15, < 5.15.126	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.16, < 6.1.45	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.2, < 6.4.10	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	6.5	Rc1

References

Timeline

Published: Oct 7, 2025
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-53660?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf, cpumap: Handle skb as well when clean up ptr_ring The following warning was reported when running xdp_redirect_cpu with both skb-mode and stress-mode enabled: ------------[ cut here ]------------ Incorrect XDP memory type (-2128176192) usage WARNING: CPU: 7 PID: 1442 at net/core/xdp.c:405 Modules linked in: CPU: 7 PID: 1442 Comm: kworker/7:0 Tainted: G 6.5.0-rc2+ #1 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996) Workqueue: events __cpu_map_entry_free RIP: 0010:__xdp_return+0x1e4/0x4a0 ...... Call Trace: <TASK> ? show_regs+0x65/0x70 ? __warn+0xa5/0x240 ? __xdp_return+0x1e4/0x4a0 ...... xdp_return_frame+0x4d/0x150 __cpu_map_entry_free+0xf9/0x230 process_one_work+0x6b0/0xb80 worker_thread+0x96/0x720 kthread+0x1a5/0x1f0 ret_from_fork+0x3a/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1b/0x30 </TASK> The reason for the warning is twofold. One is due to the kthread cpu_map_kthread_run() is stopped prematurely. Another one is __cpu_map_ring_cleanup() doesn't handle skb mode and treats skbs in ptr_ring as XDP frames. Prematurely-stopped kthread will be fixed by the preceding patch and ptr_ring will be empty when __cpu_map_ring_cleanup() is called. But as the comments in __cpu_map_ring_cleanup() said, handling and freeing skbs in ptr_ring as well to "catch any broken behaviour gracefully".

How severe is CVE-2023-53660?

CVE-2023-53660 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.14% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-53660?

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.