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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2023-53481: ubi: ubi_wl_put_peb: Fix infinite loop when wear-leveling work failed

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.16% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: Linux Linux 3afaaf6f5867dc4ad383808d4053f428ec7b867d, 4d57a7333e26040f2b583983e1970d9d460e56b0, 5af1c643184a5d09ff5b3f334077a4d0a163c677.
  • Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 7.8, NVD 5.5.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 3afaaf6f5867dc4ad383808d4053f428ec7b867d, 4d57a7333e26040f2b583983e1970d9d460e56b0, 5af1c643184a5d09ff5b3f334077a4d0a163c677 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ubi: ubi_wl_put_peb: Fix infinite loop when wear-leveling work failed Following process will trigger an infinite loop in ubi_wl_put_peb(): ubifs_bgt ubi_bgt ubifs_leb_unmap ubi_leb_unmap ubi_eba_unmap_leb ubi_wl_put_peb wear_leveling_worker e1 = rb_entry(rb_first(&ubi->used) e2 = get_peb_for_wl(ubi) ubi_io_read_vid_hdr // return err (flash fault) out_error: ubi->move_from = ubi->move_to = NULL wl_entry_destroy(ubi, e1) ubi->lookuptbl[e->pnum] = NULL retry: e = ubi->lookuptbl[pnum]; // return NULL if (e == ubi->move_from) { // NULL == NULL gets true goto retry; // infinite loop !!! $ top PID USER PR NI VIRT RES SHR S %CPU %MEM COMMAND 7676 root 20 0 0 0 0 R 100.0 0.0 ubifs_bgt0_0 Fix it by: 1) Letting ubi_wl_put_peb() returns directly if wearl leveling entry has been removed from 'ubi->lookuptbl'. 2) Using 'ubi->wl_lock' protecting wl entry deletion to preventing an use-after-free problem for wl entry in ubi_wl_put_peb(). Fetch a reproducer in [Link].

Published
Oct 1, 2025
Updated
Oct 15, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 5th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

22

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.1%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
5.5
CNA · Linux
7.8
2.3 point gap

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2023-53481

When you'll hear from us

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  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
linuxlinux kernel

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Linux Linux

    • 2.6.25affected
    • 43f9b25a9cdd7b177f77f026b1461abd1abbd174 and later · before b40d2fbf47af58377e898b5062077a47bb28a132affected · git
    • 43f9b25a9cdd7b177f77f026b1461abd1abbd174 and later · before f006f596fe851c3b6aae60b79f89f89f0e515d2faffected · git
    • 43f9b25a9cdd7b177f77f026b1461abd1abbd174 and later · before b5be23f6ae610bdb262160a1f294afee6d0e6a69affected · git
    • 43f9b25a9cdd7b177f77f026b1461abd1abbd174 and later · before 8a18856e074479bd050b01e688c58defadce7ab0affected · git
    • 43f9b25a9cdd7b177f77f026b1461abd1abbd174 and later · before 3afaaf6f5867dc4ad383808d4053f428ec7b867daffected · git
    • 43f9b25a9cdd7b177f77f026b1461abd1abbd174 and later · before cc4bc532acda66189bddc03b3fe1ad689d9a48a2affected · git
    • 43f9b25a9cdd7b177f77f026b1461abd1abbd174 and later · before 5af1c643184a5d09ff5b3f334077a4d0a163c677affected · git
    • 43f9b25a9cdd7b177f77f026b1461abd1abbd174 and later · before 4d57a7333e26040f2b583983e1970d9d460e56b0affected · git
    • before 2.6.25not affected · semver
Affected versions · NVD (7)

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • linux linux kernel2.6.25 and later · before 4.14.308
  • linux linux kernel4.15 and later · before 4.19.276
  • linux linux kernel4.20 and later · before 5.4.235
  • linux linux kernel5.5 and later · before 5.10.173
  • linux linux kernel5.11 and later · before 5.15.100
  • linux linux kernel5.16 and later · before 6.1.18
  • linux linux kernel6.2 and later · before 6.2.5

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12linuxbefore 6.1.20-16.1.20-1

Same product

linux: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV
    90Now
  • CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe…KEV
    89Now
  • CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV
    85Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2023-53477Oct 1, 2025 · ipv6: Add lwtunnel encap size of all siblings in nexthop calculation
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2023-53480Oct 1, 2025 · kobject: Add sanity check for kset->kobj.ktype in kset_register()
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2023-53482Oct 1, 2025 · iommu: Fix error unwind in iommu_group_alloc()
    22Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Linux Linux3afaaf6f5867dc4ad383808d4053f428ec7b867dVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux4d57a7333e26040f2b583983e1970d9d460e56b0Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux5af1c643184a5d09ff5b3f334077a4d0a163c677Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux8a18856e074479bd050b01e688c58defadce7ab0Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxb40d2fbf47af58377e898b5062077a47bb28a132Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxb5be23f6ae610bdb262160a1f294afee6d0e6a69Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxcc4bc532acda66189bddc03b3fe1ad689d9a48a2Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxf006f596fe851c3b6aae60b79f89f89f0e515d2fVendor (CNA)
debian:linux6.1.20-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2026-31448203 days apartext4: avoid infinite loops caused by residual data
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2026-63889291 days apartscsi: scsi_transport_fc: Widen FPIN pname walker counter to u32
    32Monitor
  • CVE-2026-52933266 days apartio_uring/poll: fix signed comparison in io_poll_get_ownership()
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2026-23451184 days apartbonding: prevent potential infinite loop in bond_header_parse()
    30Monitor
  • CVE-2026-31552205 days apartwifi: wlcore: Return -ENOMEM instead of -EAGAIN if there is not enough headroom
    30Monitor
  • CVE-2026-46052238 days apartceph: only d_add() negative dentries when they are unhashed
    30Monitor

Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · public bounty program.

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-835 · Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

References

Show all references (7 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records