---
id: CVE-2023-53116
title: |-
  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
summary: |-
  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 implementat…
severity: critical
cvss: 9.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-416
  - CWE-825
vendor: linux
product: linux_kernel
affected:
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.8, < 4.14.311'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.15, < 4.19.279'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.20, < 5.4.238'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.5, < 5.10.176'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.104'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.21'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.2.8'
  - linux_kernel = 6.3
patched:
  - linux_kernel 6.2.8
published: '2025-05-02'
updated: '2026-10-15'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-15T22:17:38.293'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53116'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04c394208831d5e0d5cfee46722eb0f033cd4083'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6173a77b7e9d3e202bdb9897b23f2a8afe7bf286'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ed9813871038b25a934b21ab76b5b7dbf44fc3a'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a6317235da8aa7cb97529ebc8121cc2a4c4c437a'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bcd535f07c58342302a2cd2bdd8894fe0872c8a9'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e5d99b29012bbf0e86929403209723b2806500c1'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f1d5888a5efe345b63c430b256e95acb0a475642'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fafcb4b26393870c45462f9af6a48e581dbbcf7e'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2023/cve-2023-53116.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-53116'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2363763'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53116'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53116'
  - url: >-
      https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2025050229-CVE-2023-53116-469c@gregkh/T
tags:
  - nvd
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
  - cve.org
  - score-dispute
epss: 0.00538
epssPercentile: 0.45099
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'yes'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2026-10-15T21:34:05.995593Z'
scores:
  nvd: 9.8
  vendor: 5.5
  cna: 9.8
ingestedAt: '2026-10-15T22:48:25.391Z'
---

## Overview

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.

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 4.8, < 4.14.311`
- `linux_kernel >= 4.15, < 4.19.279`
- `linux_kernel >= 4.20, < 5.4.238`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.5, < 5.10.176`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.104`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.21`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.2.8`
- `linux_kernel = 6.3`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `linux_kernel 6.2.8`

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Moderate · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 · updated 2026-10-16 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2023/cve-2023-53116.json)