CVE-2023-52898: xhci: Fix null pointer dereference when host dies

Severity: medium (CVSS 4.7 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2024-08-21 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-476

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xhci: Fix null pointer dereference when host dies Make sure xhci_free_dev() and xhci_kill_endpoint_urbs() do not race and cause null pointer dereference when host suddenly dies. Usb core may call xhci_free_dev() which frees the xhci->devs[slot_id] virt device at the same time that xhci_kill_endpoint_urbs() tries to loop through all the device's endpoints, checking if there are any cancelled urbs left to give back. hold the xhci spinlock while freeing the virt device

Affected products

Linux kernel: before 4.19.271; from 4.20 before 5.4.230; from 5.5 before 5.10.165; from 5.11 before 5.15.90; from 5.16 before 6.1.8; 6.2-rc1, 6.2-rc2, 6.2-rc3, 6.2-rc4 — fixed in 4.19.271, 5.10.165, 5.15.90, 5.4.230, 6.1.8

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 4.19.271, 5.10.165, 5.15.90, 5.4.230. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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