CVE Intelligence
High

CVE-2023-53860 — dm: don't attempt to queue IO under RCU protection

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dm: don't attempt to queue IO under RCU protection dm looks up the table for IO based on the request type, with an assumption that if the request is marked REQ_NOWAIT, it's fine to attempt to submit that IO while under RCU read lock protection. This is not OK, as REQ_NOWAIT just means that we should not be sleeping waiting on other IO, it does not mean that we can't potentially schedule. A simple test case demonstrates this quite nicely: int main(int argc, char *argv[]) { struct iovec iov; int fd; fd = open("/dev/dm-0", O_RDONLY | O_DIRECT); posix_memalign(&iov.iov_base, 4096, 4096); iov.iov_len = 4096; preadv2(fd, &iov, 1, 0, RWF_NOWAIT); return 0; } which will instantly spew: BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at include/linux/sched/mm.h:306 in_atomic(): 0, irqs_disabled(): 0, non_block: 0, pid: 5580, name: dm-nowait preempt_count: 0, expected: 0 RCU nest depth: 1, expected: 0 INFO: lockdep is turned off. CPU: 7 PID: 5580 Comm: dm-nowait Not tainted 6.6.0-rc1-g39956d2dcd81 #132 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.2-debian-1.16.2-1 04/01/2014 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x11d/0x1b0 __might_resched+0x3c3/0x5e0 ? preempt_count_sub+0x150/0x150 mempool_alloc+0x1e2/0x390 ? mempool_resize+0x7d0/0x7d0 ? lock_sync+0x190/0x190 ? lock_release+0x4b7/0x670 ? internal_get_user_pages_fast+0x868/0x2d40 bio_alloc_bioset+0x417/0x8c0 ? bvec_alloc+0x200/0x200 ? internal_get_user_pages_fast+0xb8c/0x2d40 bio_alloc_clone+0x53/0x100 dm_submit_bio+0x27f/0x1a20 ? lock_release+0x4b7/0x670 ? blk_try_enter_queue+0x1a0/0x4d0 ? dm_dax_direct_access+0x260/0x260 ? rcu_is_watching+0x12/0xb0 ? blk_try_enter_queue+0x1cc/0x4d0 __submit_bio+0x239/0x310 ? __bio_queue_enter+0x700/0x700 ? kvm_clock_get_cycles+0x40/0x60 ? ktime_get+0x285/0x470 submit_bio_noacct_nocheck+0x4d9/0xb80 ? should_fail_request+0x80/0x80 ? preempt_count_sub+0x150/0x150 ? lock_release+0x4b7/0x670 ? __bio_add_page+0x143/0x2d0 ? iov_iter_revert+0x27/0x360 submit_bio_noacct+0x53e/0x1b30 submit_bio_wait+0x10a/0x230 ? submit_bio_wait_endio+0x40/0x40 __blkdev_direct_IO_simple+0x4f8/0x780 ? blkdev_bio_end_io+0x4c0/0x4c0 ? stack_trace_save+0x90/0xc0 ? __bio_clone+0x3c0/0x3c0 ? lock_release+0x4b7/0x670 ? lock_sync+0x190/0x190 ? atime_needs_update+0x3bf/0x7e0 ? timestamp_truncate+0x21b/0x2d0 ? inode_owner_or_capable+0x240/0x240 blkdev_direct_IO.part.0+0x84a/0x1810 ? rcu_is_watching+0x12/0xb0 ? lock_release+0x4b7/0x670 ? blkdev_read_iter+0x40d/0x530 ? reacquire_held_locks+0x4e0/0x4e0 ? __blkdev_direct_IO_simple+0x780/0x780 ? rcu_is_watching+0x12/0xb0 ? __mark_inode_dirty+0x297/0xd50 ? preempt_count_add+0x72/0x140 blkdev_read_iter+0x2a4/0x530 do_iter_readv_writev+0x2f2/0x3c0 ? generic_copy_file_range+0x1d0/0x1d0 ? fsnotify_perm.part.0+0x25d/0x630 ? security_file_permission+0xd8/0x100 do_iter_read+0x31b/0x880 ? import_iovec+0x10b/0x140 vfs_readv+0x12d/0x1a0 ? vfs_iter_read+0xb0/0xb0 ? rcu_is_watching+0x12/0xb0 ? rcu_is_watching+0x12/0xb0 ? lock_release+0x4b7/0x670 do_preadv+0x1b3/0x260 ? do_readv+0x370/0x370 __x64_sys_preadv2+0xef/0x150 do_syscall_64+0x39/0xb0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd RIP: 0033:0x7f5af41ad806 Code: 41 54 41 89 fc 55 44 89 c5 53 48 89 cb 48 83 ec 18 80 3d e4 dd 0d 00 00 74 7a 45 89 c1 49 89 ca 45 31 c0 b8 47 01 00 00 0f 05 <48> 3d 00 f0 ff ff 0f 87 be 00 00 00 48 85 c0 79 4a 48 8b 0d da 55 RSP: 002b:00007ffd3145c7f0 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000147 RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 0000000000000000 RCX: 00007f5af41ad806 RDX: 0000000000000001 RSI: 00007ffd3145c850 RDI: 0000000000000003 RBP: 0000000000000008 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000008 R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 0000000000000003 R13: 00007ffd3145c850 R14: 000055f5f0431dd8 R15: 0000000000000001 </TASK> where in fact it is ---truncated---

Published Dec 9, 2025 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: Linux

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
  • Technical severity (high)+6

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
0.19%
ahead of 8% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026
Affects
Linux
Linux
CVSS base
7.8
High · 2 source(s)

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
  2. No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
  3. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Linux Linux ≥ 563a225c9fd207326c2a2af9d59b4097cb31ce70 and < d7b2abd87d1fcdb47811f90090a363e7ca15cb14≥ 563a225c9fd207326c2a2af9d59b4097cb31ce70 and < 699775e9338adcd4eaedea000d32c60250c3114d≥ 563a225c9fd207326c2a2af9d59b4097cb31ce70 and < a9ce385344f916cd1c36a33905e564f5581beae9version 5.19 Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactScored by
7.8 CVSS 3.1 High 1.8 5.9 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database
7.8 CVSS 3.1 High — — Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.19%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
endpoint telemetry (EDR)

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Affected products added · linux/linux
    Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 13, 2026
  • CVSS changed · 7.8
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · → Deferred
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • 2025
  • CVE published
    Dec 9, 2025 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

3 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 12h
  • CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 12h
  • CVE-2026-98428 ALSA: usb: 6fire: Avoid embedded URBs 1d
  • CVE-2026-98431 RDMA/uverbs: Fix mmap_lock/disassociation_lock circular dependency 1d
  • CVE-2026-98430 RDMA/efa: Keep admin queues alive while IRQ is registered 1d
  • CVE-2026-98429 RDMA/efa: Keep EQ resources alive while IRQ is registered 1d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
  • No CISA SSVC assessment.
  • No CWE classification.
  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2023-53860 is "dm: don't attempt to queue IO under RCU protection", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.19% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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