Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: firmware: dmi-sysfs: Fix...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
firmware: dmi-sysfs: Fix null-ptr-deref in dmi_sysfs_register_handle
KASAN reported a null-ptr-deref error:
KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000008-0x000000000000000f]
CPU: 0 PID: 1373 Comm: modprobe
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996)
RIP: 0010:dmi_sysfs_entry_release
...
Call Trace:
kobject_put
dmi_sysfs_register_handle (drivers/firmware/dmi-sysfs.c:540) dmi_sysfs
dmi_decode_table (drivers/firmware/dmi_scan.c:133)
dmi_walk (drivers/firmware/dmi_scan.c:1115)
dmi_sysfs_init (drivers/firmware/dmi-sysfs.c:149) dmi_sysfs
do_one_initcall (init/main.c:1296)
...
Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception
Kernel Offset: 0x4000000 from 0xffffffff81000000
---[ end Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception ]---
It is because previous patch added kobject_put() to release the memory
which will call dmi_sysfs_entry_release() and list_del().
However, list_add_tail(entry->list) is called after the error block,
so the list_head is uninitialized and cannot be deleted.
Move error handling to after list_add_tail to fix this.
Impact
The application dereferences a null pointer, causing a crash. Typical impact: denial of service via crash.
CVE-2023-53250 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-53250? CVE-2023-53250 is a medium-severity null pointer dereference vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet. The application dereferences a null pointer, causing a crash.
- How severe is CVE-2023-53250? CVE-2023-53250 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-53250? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2023-53250 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2023-53250 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-53250 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2023-53250 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.