CVE-2023-53171
published 2025-09-15CVE-2023-53171: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vfio/type1: prevent underflow of locked_vm via exec() When a vfio container is preserved…
PriorityP419medium5.5CVSS 3.1
AVLACLPRLUINSUCNINAH
EPSS
0.14%
4.2th percentile
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
vfio/type1: prevent underflow of locked_vm via exec()
When a vfio container is preserved across exec, the task does not change,
but it gets a new mm with locked_vm=0, and loses the count from existing
dma mappings. If the user later unmaps a dma mapping, locked_vm underflows
to a large unsigned value, and a subsequent dma map request fails with
ENOMEM in __account_locked_vm.
To avoid underflow, grab and save the mm at the time a dma is mapped.
Use that mm when adjusting locked_vm, rather than re-acquiring the saved
task's mm, which may have changed. If the saved mm is dead, do nothing.
locked_vm is incremented for existing mappings in a subsequent patch.
Affected
15 ranges
| Vendor | Product | Version range | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| debian | linux | < linux 6.1.20-1 (bookworm) | linux 6.1.20-1 (bookworm) |
| linux | linux | — | — |
| linux | linux | >= 73fa0d10d077d9521ee2dace2307ae2c9a965336 < 5a271242716846cc016736fb76be2b40ee49b0c3 | 5a271242716846cc016736fb76be2b40ee49b0c3 |
| linux | linux | >= 73fa0d10d077d9521ee2dace2307ae2c9a965336 < eafb81c50da899dd80b340c841277acc4a1945b7 | eafb81c50da899dd80b340c841277acc4a1945b7 |
| linux | linux | >= 73fa0d10d077d9521ee2dace2307ae2c9a965336 < a6b2aabe664098d5cf877ae0fd96459464a30e17 | a6b2aabe664098d5cf877ae0fd96459464a30e17 |
| linux | linux | >= 73fa0d10d077d9521ee2dace2307ae2c9a965336 < b0790dff0760b7734cf0961f497ad64628ca550b | b0790dff0760b7734cf0961f497ad64628ca550b |
| linux | linux | >= 73fa0d10d077d9521ee2dace2307ae2c9a965336 < 046eca5018f8a5dd1dc2cedf87fb5843b9ea3026 | 046eca5018f8a5dd1dc2cedf87fb5843b9ea3026 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 0 < 5.10.178-1 | 5.10.178-1 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 0 < 6.1.20-1 | 6.1.20-1 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 0 < 6.1.20-1 | 6.1.20-1 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 0 < 6.1.20-1 | 6.1.20-1 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 3.6 < 5.10.173 | 5.10.173 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 5.11 < 5.15.99 | 5.15.99 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 5.16 < 6.1.16 | 6.1.16 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 6.2 < 6.2.3 | 6.2.3 |
CVSS provenance
nvdv3.15.5MEDIUMCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
osv5.5MEDIUM
vendor_debian5.5MEDIUM
vendor_redhat5.5MEDIUM
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OSV
CVE-2023-53171: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vfio/type1: prevent underflow of locked_vm via exec() When a vfio container is pre
osv·2025-09-15·CVSS 5.5
CVE-2023-53171 [MEDIUM] CVE-2023-53171: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vfio/type1: prevent underflow of locked_vm via exec() When a vfio container is pre
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vfio/type1: prevent underflow of locked_vm via exec() When a vfio container is preserved across exec, the task does not change, but it gets a new mm with locked_vm=0, and loses the count from existing dma mappings. If the user later unmaps a dma mapping, locked_vm underflows to a large unsigned value, and a subsequent dma map request fails with ENOMEM in __account_locked_vm. To avoid underflow, grab and save the mm at the time a dma is mapped. Use that mm when adjusting locked_vm, rather than re-acquiring the saved task's mm, which may have changed. If the saved mm is dead, do nothing. locked_vm is incremented for existing mappings in a subsequent patch.
GHSA
GHSA-w3pr-pqpr-2f83: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
vfio/type1: prevent underflow of locked_vm via exec()
When a vfio container is p
ghsa_unreviewed·2025-09-15
CVE-2023-53171 [MEDIUM] GHSA-w3pr-pqpr-2f83: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
vfio/type1: prevent underflow of locked_vm via exec()
When a vfio container is p
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
vfio/type1: prevent underflow of locked_vm via exec()
When a vfio container is preserved across exec, the task does not change,
but it gets a new mm with locked_vm=0, and loses the count from existing
dma mappings. If the user later unmaps a dma mapping, locked_vm underflows
to a large unsigned value, and a subsequent dma map request fails with
ENOMEM in __account_locked_vm.
To avoid underflow, grab and save the mm at the time a dma is mapped.
Use that mm when adjusting locked_vm, rather than re-acquiring the saved
task's mm, which may have changed. If the saved mm is dead, do nothing.
locked_vm is incremented for existing mappings in a subsequent patch.
Red Hat
kernel: Linux kernel: Denial of Service in vfio/type1 due to locked_vm underflow
vendor_redhat·2025-09-15·CVSS 5.5
CVE-2023-53171 [MEDIUM] CWE-191 kernel: Linux kernel: Denial of Service in vfio/type1 due to locked_vm underflow
kernel: Linux kernel: Denial of Service in vfio/type1 due to locked_vm underflow
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
vfio/type1: prevent underflow of locked_vm via exec()
When a vfio container is preserved across exec, the task does not change,
but it gets a new mm with locked_vm=0, and loses the count from existing
dma mappings. If the user later unmaps a dma mapping, locked_vm underflows
to a large unsigned value, and a subsequent dma map request fails with
ENOMEM in __account_locked_vm.
To avoid underflow, grab and save the mm at the time a dma is mapped.
Use that mm when adjusting locked_vm, rather than re-acquiring the saved
task's mm, which may have changed. If the saved mm is dead, do nothing.
locked_vm is incremented for existing mappings in a subse
Debian
CVE-2023-53171: linux - In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vfio/type1:...
vendor_debian·2023·CVSS 5.5
CVE-2023-53171 [MEDIUM] CVE-2023-53171: linux - In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vfio/type1:...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vfio/type1: prevent underflow of locked_vm via exec() When a vfio container is preserved across exec, the task does not change, but it gets a new mm with locked_vm=0, and loses the count from existing dma mappings. If the user later unmaps a dma mapping, locked_vm underflows to a large unsigned value, and a subsequent dma map request fails with ENOMEM in __account_locked_vm. To avoid underflow, grab and save the mm at the time a dma is mapped. Use that mm when adjusting locked_vm, rather than re-acquiring the saved task's mm, which may have changed. If the saved mm is dead, do nothing. locked_vm is incremented for existing mappings in a subsequent patch.
Scope: local
bookworm: resolved (fixed in 6.1.20-1)
bullseye: resolve
No detection rules found.
No public exploits indexed.
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/046eca5018f8a5dd1dc2cedf87fb5843b9ea3026https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5a271242716846cc016736fb76be2b40ee49b0c3https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a6b2aabe664098d5cf877ae0fd96459464a30e17https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b0790dff0760b7734cf0961f497ad64628ca550bhttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eafb81c50da899dd80b340c841277acc4a1945b7
2025-09-15
Published