CVE-2023-53638: octeon_ep: cancel queued works in probe error path

Severity: high (CVSS 7.8 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2025-10-07 · updated 2026-10-15
Weakness: CWE-416

Description

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 products

Linux kernel: from 6.4 before 6.4.12; 6.5-rc1, 6.5-rc2, 6.5-rc3, 6.5-rc4, 6.5-rc5, 6.5-rc6 — fixed in 6.4.12

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 6.4.12. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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