CVE-2023-54220 — serial: 8250: Fix oops for port->pm on uart_change_pm()
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: serial: 8250: Fix oops for port->pm on uart_change_pm() Unloading a hardware specific 8250 driver can produce error "Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address" about ten seconds after unloading the driver. This happens on uart_hangup() calling uart_change_pm(). Turns out commit 04e82793f068 ("serial: 8250: Reinit port->pm on port specific driver unbind") was only a partial fix. If the hardware specific driver has initialized port->pm function, we need to clear port->pm too. Just reinitializing port->ops does not do this. Otherwise serial8250_pm() will call port->pm() instead of serial8250_do_pm().
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
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.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
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.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux |
version 8e596aed5f2f98cf3e6e98d6fe1d689f4a319308version 6.4≥ 6.3.4 and < 6.4≥ 6.1.30 and < 6.1.47≥ 5.15.113 and < 5.15.128≥ 5.10.181 and < 5.10.192≥ 5.4.244 and < 5.4.255≥ 4.19.284 and < 4.19.293 and 9 more≥ 4.14.316 and < 4.14.324≥ 490bf37eaabb0a857ed1ae8e75d8854e41662f1c and < 66f3e55960698c874b0598277913b478ecd29573≥ 04e82793f068d2f0ffe62fcea03d007a8cdc16a7 and < dfe2aeb226fd5e19b0ee795f4f6ed8bc494c1534≥ 04e82793f068d2f0ffe62fcea03d007a8cdc16a7 and < 375806616f8c772c33d40e112530887b37c1a816≥ af4d6dbb1a92ea424ad1ba1d0c88c7fa2345d872 and < 0c05493341d6f2097f75f0a5dbb7b53a9e8c5f6c≥ 1ba5594739d858e524ff0f398ee1ebfe0a8b9d41 and < 18e27df4f2b4e257c317ba8076f31a888f6cc64b≥ 2c86a1305c1406f45ea780d06953c484ea1d9e6e and < bd70d0b28010d560a8be96b44fea86fe2ba016ae≥ d5cd2928d31042a7c0a01464f9a8d95be736421d and < b653289ca6460a6552c8590b75dfa84a0140a46b≥ c9e080c3005fd183c56ff8f4d75edb5da0765d2c and < 720a297b334e85d34099e83d1f375b92c3efedd6 |
Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored 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 | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 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 15, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 0.16%
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.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- SSVC assessment updated
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 7.8
- Source status changed · → Deferred
- Record created in this database
- 2025
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× References added · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
10 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/18e27df4f2b4e257c317ba8076f31a888f6cc64b
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/dfe2aeb226fd5e19b0ee795f4f6ed8bc494c1534
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/66f3e55960698c874b0598277913b478ecd29573
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/720a297b334e85d34099e83d1f375b92c3efedd6
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-ghxp-vq7f-3f7c
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0c05493341d6f2097f75f0a5dbb7b53a9e8c5f6c
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b653289ca6460a6552c8590b75dfa84a0140a46b
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/375806616f8c772c33d40e112530887b37c1a816
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-54220
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/bd70d0b28010d560a8be96b44fea86fe2ba016ae
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 13h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 13h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98428 ALSA: usb: 6fire: Avoid embedded URBs 1d
- Unknown 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 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-2023-54220 is "serial: 8250: Fix oops for port->pm on uart_change_pm()", 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 0.16% 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.
Comments
Moderated technical discussion. Read the community guidelines.
No comments yet.
Sign in or create an account to comment and suggest corrections.