5.5

CVE-2023-53558: rcu-tasks: Avoid pr_info() with spin lock in cblist_init_generic()

Analyzed
AliasesUBUNTU-CVE-2023-53558DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53558
Published 04-10-2025Last modified 11-05-2026

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2023-53558 is a medium (CVSS 5.5) vulnerability in linux. EPSS estimates a 0.15% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 3.9% of scored vulnerabilities.

Priority
Routine

Not severe (CVSS 5.5, local access); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources

Source freshness unavailable

How is this decided?
CVSS score
5.5/10
010
Medium · v3.1 (NVD)
EPSS score
0.15%
0%100%
Low · 0.00 pp in 30 days
KEVNot listedNot listed by any tracked catalog.
RansomwareNot flaggedNo ransomware use recorded.
Public exploits0No public exploits recorded

Advisory lineage

Upstream 0 · Downstream 12 · Related 10

Timeline

  1. 04-10-2025
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 11-05-2026
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: rcu-tasks: Avoid pr_info() with spin lock in cblist_init_generic() pr_info() is called with rtp->cbs_gbl_lock spin lock locked. Because pr_info() calls printk() that might sleep, this will result in BUG like below: [ 0.206455] cblist_init_generic: Setting adjustable number of callback queues. [ 0.206463] [ 0.206464] ============================= [ 0.206464] [ BUG: Invalid wait context ] [ 0.206465] 5.19.0-00428-g9de1f9c8ca51 #5 Not tainted [ 0.206466] ----------------------------- [ 0.206466] swapper/0/1 is trying to lock: [ 0.206467] ffffffffa0167a58 (&port_lock_key){....}-{3:3}, at: serial8250_console_write+0x327/0x4a0 [ 0.206473] other info that might help us debug this: [ 0.206473] context-{5:5} [ 0.206474] 3 locks held by swapper/0/1: [ 0.206474] #0: ffffffff9eb597e0 (rcu_tasks.cbs_gbl_lock){....}-{2:2}, at: cblist_init_generic.constprop.0+0x14/0x1f0 [ 0.206478] #1: ffffffff9eb579c0 (console_lock){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: _printk+0x63/0x7e [ 0.206482] #2: ffffffff9ea77780 (console_owner){....}-{0:0}, at: console_emit_next_record.constprop.0+0x111/0x330 [ 0.206485] stack backtrace: [ 0.206486] CPU: 0 PID: 1 Comm: swapper/0 Not tainted 5.19.0-00428-g9de1f9c8ca51 #5 [ 0.206488] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.0-1.fc36 04/01/2014 [ 0.206489] Call Trace: [ 0.206490] <TASK> [ 0.206491] dump_stack_lvl+0x6a/0x9f [ 0.206493] __lock_acquire.cold+0x2d7/0x2fe [ 0.206496] ? stack_trace_save+0x46/0x70 [ 0.206497] lock_acquire+0xd1/0x2f0 [ 0.206499] ? serial8250_console_write+0x327/0x4a0 [ 0.206500] ? __lock_acquire+0x5c7/0x2720 [ 0.206502] _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x3d/0x90 [ 0.206504] ? serial8250_console_write+0x327/0x4a0 [ 0.206506] serial8250_console_write+0x327/0x4a0 [ 0.206508] console_emit_next_record.constprop.0+0x180/0x330 [ 0.206511] console_unlock+0xf7/0x1f0 [ 0.206512] vprintk_emit+0xf7/0x330 [ 0.206514] _printk+0x63/0x7e [ 0.206516] cblist_init_generic.constprop.0.cold+0x24/0x32 [ 0.206518] rcu_init_tasks_generic+0x5/0xd9 [ 0.206522] kernel_init_freeable+0x15b/0x2a2 [ 0.206523] ? rest_init+0x160/0x160 [ 0.206526] kernel_init+0x11/0x120 [ 0.206527] ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30 [ 0.206530] </TASK> [ 0.207018] cblist_init_generic: Setting shift to 1 and lim to 1. This patch moves pr_info() so that it is called without rtp->cbs_gbl_lock locked.

CVSS metrics

3 scores · 3 sources · 1 version

EPSS trend

Probability

0.15%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

4%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

No change 0.00 pp

From 0.14% on 04-10-2026

04-10-202603-11-2026

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEV

Not in the CISA KEV catalog.

ENISA CNW

Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.

CIRCL

Not in the CIRCL catalog.

Public exploits

0 found

No public exploits indexed.

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

No weakness data has been published for this record.

Affected systems

Version check

Known conditions: local access, low-privilege account, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.

Ubuntu124 products
  • linuxAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-allwinner-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-awsAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-aws-5.0All versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-aws-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
Linux2 products
  • linux≥ ab97152f88a4d580b89f0b7cc3028ffac438216f, < 9027d69221ff96e1356f070f7feb2ff989ae7388 | ≥ ab97152f88a4d580b89f0b7cc3028ffac438216f, < ea9b81c7d9104040b46a84d2303045de267f5557 | ≥ ab97152f88a4d580b89f0b7cc3028ffac438216f, < 5fc8cbe4cf0fd34ded8045c385790c3bf04f6785 | 5.17
  • linux_kernel≥ 5.17, < 6.1.42 | ≥ 6.2, < 6.4.7
Debian1 product
  • linux< 6.1.52-1 | < 6.4.11-1

3 vendors · 127 products

References

7 links