CVE-2023-53614 – This CVE describes a race condition vulnerabili... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-53614?

CVE-2023-53614 has a CVSS score of 4.7 (MEDIUM). This CVE describes a race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Kernel Samepage Merging (KSM) feature where exit_mmap() can destroy VMAs and the maple tree while for_each_vma() iterator is still accessing them. This could lead to kernel crashes or lockdep warnings. It affects Linux systems with KSM enabled.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Kernel Samepage Merging (KSM) feature where exit_mmap() can destroy VMAs and the maple tree while for_each_vma() iterator is still accessing them. This could lead to kernel crashes or lockdep warnings. It affects Linux systems with KSM enabled.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific affected versions not explicitly stated in CVE, but patches exist for stable branches

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable when KSM (Kernel Samepage Merging) is enabled, which is typically not enabled by default

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service

🟠

Likely Case

Kernel lockdep warning or system instability

🟢

If Mitigated

Minor performance impact from skipped iterator

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to trigger race condition

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users could potentially cause system instability

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: HIGH - Requires precise timing to trigger race condition

Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger the specific race condition between VMA iteration and mm_struct teardown

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel branches (commits: 286b0cab31bac29960e5684f6fb331d42f03b363, 6db504ce55bdbc575723938fc480713c9183f6a2, b4f664ffd8f78c05a1fd542a28bc5a11e994c014)

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/286b0cab31bac29960e5684f6fb331d42f03b363

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution's repositories. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable KSM

linux

Disable Kernel Samepage Merging feature since vulnerability only affects KSM

echo 0 > /sys/kernel/mm/ksm/run
echo never > /sys/kernel/mm/transparent_hugepage/defrag

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Disable KSM feature if not required for your workload
Restrict local user access to systems where KSM is enabled

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if KSM is enabled: cat /sys/kernel/mm/ksm/run. If returns 1, system may be vulnerable if using unpatched kernel.

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Check kernel version against patched versions from your distribution's security advisories

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages
Lockdep warnings in dmesg
System crash/reboot logs

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

Search for kernel panic or lockdep warning messages in system logs

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-53614

CVSS v3 Score: 4.7 (MEDIUM)

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

CWE: CWE-362

Published: October 4, 2025

Last Updated: February 5, 2026

🤖 AI-assisted analysis, reviewed for accuracy

🔗 References

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