CVE-2023-53832: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: md/raid10: fix null-ptr-deref in raid10_sync_request init_resync() inits mempool...

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: md/raid10: fix null-ptr-deref in raid10_sync_request init_resync() inits mempool and sets conf->have_replacemnt at the beginning of sync, close_sync() frees the mempool when sync is completed. After [1] recovery might be skipped and init_resync() is called but close_sync() is not. null-ptr-deref occurs with r10bio->dev[i].repl_bio. The following is one way to reproduce the issue. 1) create a array, wait for resync to complete, mddev->recovery_cp is set to MaxSector. 2) recovery is woken and it is skipped. conf->have_replacement is set to 0 in init_resync(). close_sync() not called. 3) some io errors and rdev A is set to WantReplacement. 4) a new device is added and set to A's replacement. 5) recovery is woken, A have replacement, but conf->have_replacemnt is 0. r10bio->dev[i].repl_bio will not be alloced and null-ptr-deref occurs. Fix it by not calling init_resync() if recovery skipped. [1] commit 7e83ccbecd60 ("md/raid10: Allow skipping recovery when clean arrays are assembled")

Metrics

EPSS Probability

0.22%

12.0th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

References

Timeline

Published: Dec 9, 2025
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Deferred

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-53832?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: md/raid10: fix null-ptr-deref in raid10_sync_request init_resync() inits mempool and sets conf->have_replacemnt at the beginning of sync, close_sync() frees the mempool when sync is completed. After [1] recovery might be skipped and init_resync() is called but close_sync() is not. null-ptr-deref occurs with r10bio->dev[i].repl_bio. The following is one way to reproduce the issue. 1) create a array, wait for resync to complete, mddev->recovery_cp is set to MaxSector. 2) recovery is woken and it is skipped. conf->have_replacement is set to 0 in init_resync(). close_sync() not called. 3) some io errors and rdev A is set to WantReplacement. 4) a new device is added and set to A's replacement. 5) recovery is woken, A have replacement, but conf->have_replacemnt is 0. r10bio->dev[i].repl_bio will not be alloced and null-ptr-deref occurs. Fix it by not calling init_resync() if recovery skipped. [1] commit 7e83ccbecd60 ("md/raid10: Allow skipping recovery when clean arrays are assembled")

How severe is CVE-2023-53832?

Severity scoring for CVE-2023-53832 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 0.22% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-53832?

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.