CVE-2023-53560 (GCVE-0-2023-53560)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5
Published
2025-10-04 15:17
Modified
2026-08-05 09:14
Severity ?
7.8 (High) - CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing/histograms: Add histograms to hist_vars if they have referenced variables Hist triggers can have referenced variables without having direct variables fields. This can be the case if referenced variables are added for trigger actions. In this case the newly added references will not have field variables. Not taking such referenced variables into consideration can result in a bug where it would be possible to remove hist trigger with variables being refenced. This will result in a bug that is easily reproducable like so $ cd /sys/kernel/tracing $ echo 'synthetic_sys_enter char[] comm; long id' >> synthetic_events $ echo 'hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:vals=hitcount:comm=common_pid.execname' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger $ echo 'hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:onmatch(raw_syscalls.sys_enter).synthetic_sys_enter($comm, id)' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger $ echo '!hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:vals=hitcount:comm=common_pid.execname' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger [ 100.263533] ================================================================== [ 100.264634] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180 [ 100.265520] Read of size 8 at addr ffff88810375d0f0 by task bash/439 [ 100.266320] [ 100.266533] CPU: 2 PID: 439 Comm: bash Not tainted 6.5.0-rc1 #4 [ 100.267277] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.0-20220807_005459-localhost 04/01/2014 [ 100.268561] Call Trace: [ 100.268902] <TASK> [ 100.269189] dump_stack_lvl+0x4c/0x70 [ 100.269680] print_report+0xc5/0x600 [ 100.270165] ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180 [ 100.270697] ? kasan_complete_mode_report_info+0x80/0x1f0 [ 100.271389] ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180 [ 100.271913] kasan_report+0xbd/0x100 [ 100.272380] ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180 [ 100.272920] __asan_load8+0x71/0xa0 [ 100.273377] resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180 [ 100.273888] event_hist_trigger+0x749/0x860 [ 100.274505] ? kasan_save_stack+0x2a/0x50 [ 100.275024] ? kasan_set_track+0x29/0x40 [ 100.275536] ? __pfx_event_hist_trigger+0x10/0x10 [ 100.276138] ? ksys_write+0xd1/0x170 [ 100.276607] ? do_syscall_64+0x3c/0x90 [ 100.277099] ? entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0xd8 [ 100.277771] ? destroy_hist_data+0x446/0x470 [ 100.278324] ? event_hist_trigger_parse+0xa6c/0x3860 [ 100.278962] ? __pfx_event_hist_trigger_parse+0x10/0x10 [ 100.279627] ? __kasan_check_write+0x18/0x20 [ 100.280177] ? mutex_unlock+0x85/0xd0 [ 100.280660] ? __pfx_mutex_unlock+0x10/0x10 [ 100.281200] ? kfree+0x7b/0x120 [ 100.281619] ? ____kasan_slab_free+0x15d/0x1d0 [ 100.282197] ? event_trigger_write+0xac/0x100 [ 100.282764] ? __kasan_slab_free+0x16/0x20 [ 100.283293] ? __kmem_cache_free+0x153/0x2f0 [ 100.283844] ? sched_mm_cid_remote_clear+0xb1/0x250 [ 100.284550] ? __pfx_sched_mm_cid_remote_clear+0x10/0x10 [ 100.285221] ? event_trigger_write+0xbc/0x100 [ 100.285781] ? __kasan_check_read+0x15/0x20 [ 100.286321] ? __bitmap_weight+0x66/0xa0 [ 100.286833] ? _find_next_bit+0x46/0xe0 [ 100.287334] ? task_mm_cid_work+0x37f/0x450 [ 100.287872] event_triggers_call+0x84/0x150 [ 100.288408] trace_event_buffer_commit+0x339/0x430 [ 100.289073] ? ring_buffer_event_data+0x3f/0x60 [ 100.292189] trace_event_raw_event_sys_enter+0x8b/0xe0 [ 100.295434] syscall_trace_enter.constprop.0+0x18f/0x1b0 [ 100.298653] syscall_enter_from_user_mode+0x32/0x40 [ 100.301808] do_syscall_64+0x1a/0x90 [ 100.304748] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0xd8 [ 100.307775] RIP: 0033:0x7f686c75c1cb [ 100.310617] Code: 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 65 3c 10 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48 83 c8 ff c3 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 90 f3 0f 1e fa b8 21 00 00 00 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 35 3c 10 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48 [ 100.317847] RSP: 002b:00007ffc60137a38 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000021 [ 100.321200] RA ---truncated---
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version
Linux Linux Version: 067fe038e70f6e64960d26a79c4df5f1413d0f13
Version: 067fe038e70f6e64960d26a79c4df5f1413d0f13
Version: 067fe038e70f6e64960d26a79c4df5f1413d0f13
Version: 067fe038e70f6e64960d26a79c4df5f1413d0f13
Version: 067fe038e70f6e64960d26a79c4df5f1413d0f13
Version: 067fe038e70f6e64960d26a79c4df5f1413d0f13
Version: 067fe038e70f6e64960d26a79c4df5f1413d0f13
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{
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
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          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c"
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          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
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              "versionType": "git"
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              "status": "affected",
              "version": "067fe038e70f6e64960d26a79c4df5f1413d0f13",
              "versionType": "git"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
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          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
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              "version": "4.17"
            },
            {
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              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "4.19.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "4.19.291",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "5.4.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "5.4.251",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "5.10.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "5.10.188",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "5.15.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "5.15.121",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.1.40",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.4.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.4.5",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.5",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "nodes": [
            {
              "cpeMatch": [
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "4.19.291",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "4.17",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "5.4.251",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "4.17",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
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                  "versionEndExcluding": "5.15.121",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "4.17",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.1.40",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "4.17",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.4.5",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "4.17",
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                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
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                  "vulnerable": true
                }
              ],
              "negate": false,
              "operator": "OR"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\ntracing/histograms: Add histograms to hist_vars if they have referenced variables\n\nHist triggers can have referenced variables without having direct\nvariables fields. This can be the case if referenced variables are added\nfor trigger actions. In this case the newly added references will not\nhave field variables. Not taking such referenced variables into\nconsideration can result in a bug where it would be possible to remove\nhist trigger with variables being refenced. This will result in a bug\nthat is easily reproducable like so\n\n$ cd /sys/kernel/tracing\n$ echo \u0027synthetic_sys_enter char[] comm; long id\u0027 \u003e\u003e synthetic_events\n$ echo \u0027hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:vals=hitcount:comm=common_pid.execname\u0027 \u003e\u003e events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger\n$ echo \u0027hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:onmatch(raw_syscalls.sys_enter).synthetic_sys_enter($comm, id)\u0027 \u003e\u003e events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger\n$ echo \u0027!hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:vals=hitcount:comm=common_pid.execname\u0027 \u003e\u003e events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger\n\n[  100.263533] ==================================================================\n[  100.264634] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180\n[  100.265520] Read of size 8 at addr ffff88810375d0f0 by task bash/439\n[  100.266320]\n[  100.266533] CPU: 2 PID: 439 Comm: bash Not tainted 6.5.0-rc1 #4\n[  100.267277] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.0-20220807_005459-localhost 04/01/2014\n[  100.268561] Call Trace:\n[  100.268902]  \u003cTASK\u003e\n[  100.269189]  dump_stack_lvl+0x4c/0x70\n[  100.269680]  print_report+0xc5/0x600\n[  100.270165]  ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180\n[  100.270697]  ? kasan_complete_mode_report_info+0x80/0x1f0\n[  100.271389]  ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180\n[  100.271913]  kasan_report+0xbd/0x100\n[  100.272380]  ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180\n[  100.272920]  __asan_load8+0x71/0xa0\n[  100.273377]  resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180\n[  100.273888]  event_hist_trigger+0x749/0x860\n[  100.274505]  ? kasan_save_stack+0x2a/0x50\n[  100.275024]  ? kasan_set_track+0x29/0x40\n[  100.275536]  ? __pfx_event_hist_trigger+0x10/0x10\n[  100.276138]  ? ksys_write+0xd1/0x170\n[  100.276607]  ? do_syscall_64+0x3c/0x90\n[  100.277099]  ? entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0xd8\n[  100.277771]  ? destroy_hist_data+0x446/0x470\n[  100.278324]  ? event_hist_trigger_parse+0xa6c/0x3860\n[  100.278962]  ? __pfx_event_hist_trigger_parse+0x10/0x10\n[  100.279627]  ? __kasan_check_write+0x18/0x20\n[  100.280177]  ? mutex_unlock+0x85/0xd0\n[  100.280660]  ? __pfx_mutex_unlock+0x10/0x10\n[  100.281200]  ? kfree+0x7b/0x120\n[  100.281619]  ? ____kasan_slab_free+0x15d/0x1d0\n[  100.282197]  ? event_trigger_write+0xac/0x100\n[  100.282764]  ? __kasan_slab_free+0x16/0x20\n[  100.283293]  ? __kmem_cache_free+0x153/0x2f0\n[  100.283844]  ? sched_mm_cid_remote_clear+0xb1/0x250\n[  100.284550]  ? __pfx_sched_mm_cid_remote_clear+0x10/0x10\n[  100.285221]  ? event_trigger_write+0xbc/0x100\n[  100.285781]  ? __kasan_check_read+0x15/0x20\n[  100.286321]  ? __bitmap_weight+0x66/0xa0\n[  100.286833]  ? _find_next_bit+0x46/0xe0\n[  100.287334]  ? task_mm_cid_work+0x37f/0x450\n[  100.287872]  event_triggers_call+0x84/0x150\n[  100.288408]  trace_event_buffer_commit+0x339/0x430\n[  100.289073]  ? ring_buffer_event_data+0x3f/0x60\n[  100.292189]  trace_event_raw_event_sys_enter+0x8b/0xe0\n[  100.295434]  syscall_trace_enter.constprop.0+0x18f/0x1b0\n[  100.298653]  syscall_enter_from_user_mode+0x32/0x40\n[  100.301808]  do_syscall_64+0x1a/0x90\n[  100.304748]  entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0xd8\n[  100.307775] RIP: 0033:0x7f686c75c1cb\n[  100.310617] Code: 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 65 3c 10 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48 83 c8 ff c3 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 90 f3 0f 1e fa b8 21 00 00 00 0f 05 \u003c48\u003e 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 35 3c 10 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48\n[  100.317847] RSP: 002b:00007ffc60137a38 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000021\n[  100.321200] RA\n---truncated---"
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "baseScore": 7.8,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          },
          "scenarios": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "value": "AV:L - The vulnerability is reached only by writing hist trigger commands to tracefs files under /sys/kernel/tracing/events/*/trigger, which requires local access to the machine. There is no network or remote-peer path into `event_hist_trigger_parse()`.\nAC:L - The upstream reproducer is four deterministic shell writes with no race window, memory-layout requirement, or timing dependency, and the dangling reference is then dereferenced by the attacker\u0027s own syscalls via `raw_syscalls:sys_enter`. `CONFIG_HIST_TRIGGERS` is enabled in all major distro and Android kernels, so the code is present in practice.\nPR:L - tracefs is not user-namespace mountable, but write access to the tracing hierarchy is routinely delegated to non-root principals in real deployments (Android/Perfetto `traced_probes`, ChromeOS debugd, `gid=`-mounted tracing groups), so a low-privileged account can reach the trigger files. This matches the established scoring for tracefs-gated tracing use-after-frees (CVE-2025-21899, CVE-2025-22035, CVE-2025-38101), all rated PR:L.\nUI:N - The attacker performs every step \u2014 creating both triggers, removing the defining one, and firing the event through their own syscalls. No action by any other user or administrator is needed.\nS:U - The use-after-free is confined to kernel heap objects owned by the tracing subsystem within the same security authority; no VM, IOMMU, or sandbox boundary is crossed.\nC:H - This is a slab use-after-free where `hist_field-\u003evar.hist_data` and the chased `map`/`entry`/`elt` pointers come from reallocatable freed memory, and `tracing_map_read_var()` writes the dereferenced value into a synthetic event the attacker reads back from the trace ring buffer \u2014 an attacker-controllable kernel memory disclosure channel.\nI:H - After reclaiming the freed `hist_trigger_data`, `__tracing_map_insert()` performs `cmpxchg` on `entry-\u003ekey`, `atomic64_inc(\u0026map-\u003ehits)`, and `tracing_map_var_set()` writes `elt-\u003evar_set[var_idx] = true` through attacker-influenced pointers, giving a heap write primitive suitable for further corruption.\nA:H - The bug reproduces as a KASAN slab-use-after-free read in `resolve_var_refs()` and, without KASAN, dereferences a stale pointer chain that readily oopses the kernel. It fires from the extremely hot `sys_enter` tracepoint, so the crash is immediate and repeatable."
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T09:14:51.124Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ffad1528e81c91769d9da1f8436080861c8ec67"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4815359056083c555f97a5ee3af86519be5166de"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1576f0df7b4d1f82db588d6654b89d796fa06929"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/97f54b330c797ed27fba8791baeaa38ace886cbd"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5fd32eb6fa0ac795aa5a64bc004ab68d7b44196a"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a540f63618e525e433b37d2b5522cda08e321d7"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6018b585e8c6fa7d85d4b38d9ce49a5b67be7078"
        }
      ],
      "title": "tracing/histograms: Add histograms to hist_vars if they have referenced variables",
      "x_generator": {
        "engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2023-53560",
    "datePublished": "2025-10-04T15:17:04.299Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-10-04T15:14:15.923Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T09:14:51.124Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2"
}


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