Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5e: Fix deadlock in...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net/mlx5e: Fix deadlock in tc route query code
Cited commit causes ABBA deadlock[0] when peer flows are created while
holding the devcom rw semaphore. Due to peer flows offload implementation
the lock is taken much higher up the call chain and there is no obvious way
to easily fix the deadlock. Instead, since tc route query code needs the
peer eswitch structure only to perform a lookup in xarray and doesn't
perform any sleeping operations with it, refactor the code for lockless
execution in following ways:
RCUify the devcom 'data' pointer. When resetting the pointer
synchronously wait for RCU grace period before returning. This is fine
since devcom is currently only used for synchronization of
pairing/unpairing of eswitches which is rare and already expensive as-is.Wrap all usages of 'paired' boolean in {READ|WRITE}_ONCE(). The flag has
already been used in some unlocked contexts without proper
annotations (e.g. users of mlx5_devcom_is_paired() function), but it wasn't
an issue since all relevant code paths checked it again after obtaining the
devcom semaphore. Now it is also used by mlx5_devcom_get_peer_data_rcu() as
"best effort" check to return NULL when devcom is being unpaired. Note that
while RCU read lock doesn't prevent the unpaired flag from being changed
concurrently it still guarantees that reader can continue to use 'data'.Refactor mlx5e_tc_query_route_vport() function to use new
mlx5_devcom_get_peer_data_rcu() API which fixes the deadlock.
[0]:
[ 164.599612] ======================================================
[ 164.600142] WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected
[ 164.600667] 6.3.0-rc3+ #1 Not tainted
[ 164.601021] ------------------------------------------------------
[ 164.601557] handler1/3456 is trying to acquire lock:
[ 164.601998] ffff88811f1714b0 (&esw->offloads.encap_tbl_lock){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: mlx5e_attach_encap+0xd8/0x8b0 [mlx5_core]
[ 164.603078]
but task is already holding lock:
[ 164.603617] ffff88810137fc98 (&comp->sem){++++}-{3:3}, at: mlx5_devcom_get_peer_data+0x37/0x80 [mlx5_core]
[ 164.604459]
which lock already depends on the new lock.
[ 164.605190]
the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is:
[ 164.605848]
-> #1 (&comp->sem){++++}-{3:3}:
[ 164.606380] down_read+0x39/0x50
[ 164.606772] mlx5_devcom_get_peer_data+0x37/0x80 [mlx5_core]
[ 164.607336] mlx5e_tc_query_route_vport+0x86/0xc0 [mlx5_core]
[ 164.607914] mlx5e_tc_tun_route_lookup+0x1a4/0x1d0 [mlx5_core]
[ 164.608495] mlx5e_attach_decap_route+0xc6/0x1e0 [mlx5_core]
[ 164.609063] mlx5e_tc_add_fdb_flow+0x1ea/0x360 [mlx5_core]
[ 164.609627] __mlx5e_add_fdb_flow+0x2d2/0x430 [mlx5_core]
[ 164.610175] mlx5e_configure_flower+0x952/0x1a20 [mlx5_core]
[ 164.610741] tc_setup_cb_add+0xd4/0x200
[ 164.611146] fl_hw_replace_filter+0x14c/0x1f0 [cls_flower]
[ 164.611661] fl_change+0xc95/0x18a0 [cls_flower]
[ 164.612116] tc_new_tfilter+0x3fc/0xd20
[ 164.612516] rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x418/0x5b0
[ 164.612936] netlink_rcv_skb+0x54/0x100
[ 164.613339] netlink_unicast+0x190/0x250
[ 164.613746] netlink_sendmsg+0x245/0x4a0
[ 164.614150] sock_sendmsg+0x38/0x60
[ 164.614522] ____sys_sendmsg+0x1d0/0x1e0
[ 164.614934] ___sys_sendmsg+0x80/0xc0
[ 164.615320] __sys_sendmsg+0x51/0x90
[ 164.615701] do_syscall_64+0x3d/0x90
[ 164.616083] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0
[ 164.616568]
-> #0 (&esw->offloads.encap_tbl_lock){+.+.}-{3:3}:
[ 164.617210] __lock_acquire+0x159e/0x26e0
[ 164.617638] lock_acquire+0xc2/0x2a0
[ 164.618018] __mutex_lock+0x92/0xcd0
[ 164.618401] mlx5e_attach_encap+0xd8/0x8b0 [mlx5_core]
[ 164.618943] post_process_attr+0x153/0x2d0 [
---truncated---
Impact
CVE-2023-53591 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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-53591? CVE-2023-53591 is a medium-severity security vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet.
- How severe is CVE-2023-53591? CVE-2023-53591 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-2023-53591? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2023-53591 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2023-53591 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-53591 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-2023-53591 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.