CVE-2023-54107: blk-cgroup: dropping parent refcount after pd_free_fn() is done

Severity: high (CVSS 7.8 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: 2025-12-24 · updated 2026-10-30

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: blk-cgroup: dropping parent refcount after pd_free_fn() is done Some cgroup policies will access parent pd through child pd even after pd_offline_fn() is done. If pd_free_fn() for parent is called before child, then UAF can be triggered. Hence it's better to guarantee the order of pd_free_fn(). Currently refcount of parent blkg is dropped in __blkg_release(), which is before pd_free_fn() is called in blkg_free_work_fn() while blkg_free_work_fn() is called asynchronously. This patch make sure pd_free_fn() called from removing cgroup is ordered by delaying dropping parent refcount after calling pd_free_fn() for child. BTW, pd_free_fn() will also be called from blkcg_deactivate_policy() from deleting device, and following patches will guarantee the order.

Affected products

Linux: 5.18 — fixed in 6.3

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux 6.3. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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