---
id: CVE-2023-53007
title: 'tracing: Make sure trace_printk() can output as soon as it can be used'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  tracing: Make sure trace_printk() can output as soon as it can be used

  Currently trace_printk() can be used as soon as early_trace_init() is
  called from start_kernel()…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= e725c731e3bb1e892e7b564c945b121cb41d1087 <
    f97eb0ab066133483a65c93eb894748de2f6b598
  - >-
    Linux >= e725c731e3bb1e892e7b564c945b121cb41d1087 <
    b94d7c7654356860dd7719120c7d15ba38b6162a
  - >-
    Linux >= e725c731e3bb1e892e7b564c945b121cb41d1087 <
    76b2390fdc80c0a8300e5da5b6b62d201b6fe9ce
  - >-
    Linux >= e725c731e3bb1e892e7b564c945b121cb41d1087 <
    de3930a4883ddad2244efd6d349013294c62c75c
  - >-
    Linux >= e725c731e3bb1e892e7b564c945b121cb41d1087 <
    b0af180514edea6c83dc9a299d9f383009c99f25
  - >-
    Linux >= e725c731e3bb1e892e7b564c945b121cb41d1087 <
    198c83963f6335ca6d690cff067679560f2a3a22
  - >-
    Linux >= e725c731e3bb1e892e7b564c945b121cb41d1087 <
    3bb06eb6e9acf7c4a3e1b5bc87aed398ff8e2253
  - Linux 4.12
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-11-05T20:14:20.698476Z'
published: '2025-03-27'
updated: '2026-11-05'
sourceUpdated: '2026-11-05T20:20:53.945Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53007'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f97eb0ab066133483a65c93eb894748de2f6b598'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b94d7c7654356860dd7719120c7d15ba38b6162a'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/76b2390fdc80c0a8300e5da5b6b62d201b6fe9ce'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/de3930a4883ddad2244efd6d349013294c62c75c'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b0af180514edea6c83dc9a299d9f383009c99f25'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/198c83963f6335ca6d690cff067679560f2a3a22'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3bb06eb6e9acf7c4a3e1b5bc87aed398ff8e2253'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00208
epssPercentile: 0.10954
ingestedAt: '2026-11-05T22:38:31.753Z'
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

tracing: Make sure trace_printk() can output as soon as it can be used

Currently trace_printk() can be used as soon as early_trace_init() is
called from start_kernel(). But if a crash happens, and
"ftrace_dump_on_oops" is set on the kernel command line, all you get will
be:

  [    0.456075]   <idle>-0         0dN.2. 347519us : Unknown type 6
  [    0.456075]   <idle>-0         0dN.2. 353141us : Unknown type 6
  [    0.456075]   <idle>-0         0dN.2. 358684us : Unknown type 6

This is because the trace_printk() event (type 6) hasn't been registered
yet. That gets done via an early_initcall(), which may be early, but not
early enough.

Instead of registering the trace_printk() event (and other ftrace events,
which are not trace events) via an early_initcall(), have them registered at
the same time that trace_printk() can be used. This way, if there is a
crash before early_initcall(), then the trace_printk()s will actually be
useful.

## Affected

- `Linux >= e725c731e3bb1e892e7b564c945b121cb41d1087 < f97eb0ab066133483a65c93eb894748de2f6b598`
- `Linux >= e725c731e3bb1e892e7b564c945b121cb41d1087 < b94d7c7654356860dd7719120c7d15ba38b6162a`
- `Linux >= e725c731e3bb1e892e7b564c945b121cb41d1087 < 76b2390fdc80c0a8300e5da5b6b62d201b6fe9ce`
- `Linux >= e725c731e3bb1e892e7b564c945b121cb41d1087 < de3930a4883ddad2244efd6d349013294c62c75c`
- `Linux >= e725c731e3bb1e892e7b564c945b121cb41d1087 < b0af180514edea6c83dc9a299d9f383009c99f25`
- `Linux >= e725c731e3bb1e892e7b564c945b121cb41d1087 < 198c83963f6335ca6d690cff067679560f2a3a22`
- `Linux >= e725c731e3bb1e892e7b564c945b121cb41d1087 < 3bb06eb6e9acf7c4a3e1b5bc87aed398ff8e2253`
- `Linux 4.12`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.