---
id: CVE-2023-53638
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  octeon_ep: cancel queued works in probe error path

  If it fails to get the devices's MAC address, octep_probe exits while
  leaving the delayed work intr_poll_task queued…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  octeon_ep: cancel queued works in probe error path

  If it fails to get the devices's MAC address, octep_probe exits while
  leaving the delayed work intr_poll_task queued…
severity: high
cvss: 7
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-416
vendor: linux
product: linux_kernel
affected:
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.4, < 6.4.12'
  - linux_kernel = 6.5
patched:
  - linux_kernel 6.4.12
published: '2025-10-07'
updated: '2026-10-15'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-15T22:17:45.120'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53638'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/62312e2f6466b5f0a120542a38b410d88a34ed00'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/758c91078165ae641b698750a72eafe7968b3756'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00142
epssPercentile: 0.03512
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2026-10-15T21:36:10.331237Z'
ingestedAt: '2026-10-15T22:48:25.412Z'
---

## Overview

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

octeon_ep: cancel queued works in probe error path

If it fails to get the devices's MAC address, octep_probe exits while
leaving the delayed work intr_poll_task queued. When the work later
runs, it's a use after free.

Move the cancelation of intr_poll_task from octep_remove into
octep_device_cleanup. This does not change anything in the octep_remove
flow, but octep_device_cleanup is called also in the octep_probe error
path, where the cancelation is needed.

Note that the cancelation of ctrl_mbox_task has to follow
intr_poll_task's, because the ctrl_mbox_task may be queued by
intr_poll_task.

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 6.4, < 6.4.12`
- `linux_kernel = 6.5`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `linux_kernel 6.4.12`