GCVE Workshop - 22 September 2026 (14:00-18:00), Luxembourg Before The Vulnopticon Conference - Registration

CVE-2023-54019 (GCVE-0-2023-54019)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-12-24 10:55 – Updated: 2026-08-05 09:16
VLAI
Title
sched/psi: use kernfs polling functions for PSI trigger polling
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sched/psi: use kernfs polling functions for PSI trigger polling Destroying psi trigger in cgroup_file_release causes UAF issues when a cgroup is removed from under a polling process. This is happening because cgroup removal causes a call to cgroup_file_release while the actual file is still alive. Destroying the trigger at this point would also destroy its waitqueue head and if there is still a polling process on that file accessing the waitqueue, it will step on the freed pointer: do_select vfs_poll do_rmdir cgroup_rmdir kernfs_drain_open_files cgroup_file_release cgroup_pressure_release psi_trigger_destroy wake_up_pollfree(&t->event_wait) // vfs_poll is unblocked synchronize_rcu kfree(t) poll_freewait -> UAF access to the trigger's waitqueue head Patch [1] fixed this issue for epoll() case using wake_up_pollfree(), however the same issue exists for synchronous poll() case. The root cause of this issue is that the lifecycles of the psi trigger's waitqueue and of the file associated with the trigger are different. Fix this by using kernfs_generic_poll function when polling on cgroup-specific psi triggers. It internally uses kernfs_open_node->poll waitqueue head with its lifecycle tied to the file's lifecycle. This also renders the fix in [1] obsolete, so revert it. [1] commit c2dbe32d5db5 ("sched/psi: Fix use-after-free in ep_remove_wait_queue()")
Severity
7.8 (High)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
Linux Linux Affected: 0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5 , < 92cc0153324b6ae8577a39f5bf2cd83c9a34ea6a (git)
Affected: 0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5 , < d124ab17024cc85a1079b7810a018a497ebc13da (git)
Affected: 0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5 , < aff037078ecaecf34a7c2afab1341815f90fba5e (git)
guessed Create a notification for this product.
Linux Linux Affected: 5.2
Unaffected: 0 , < 5.2 (semver)
Unaffected: 6.1.42 , ≤ 6.1.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.4.7 , ≤ 6.4.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.5 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
guessed Create a notification for this product.
Show details on NVD website
To clipboard 

{
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "include/linux/psi.h",
            "include/linux/psi_types.h",
            "kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c",
            "kernel/sched/psi.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "lessThan": "92cc0153324b6ae8577a39f5bf2cd83c9a34ea6a",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "d124ab17024cc85a1079b7810a018a497ebc13da",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "aff037078ecaecf34a7c2afab1341815f90fba5e",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5",
              "versionType": "git"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "include/linux/psi.h",
            "include/linux/psi_types.h",
            "kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c",
            "kernel/sched/psi.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "5.2"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "5.2",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.1.42",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.4.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.4.7",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.5",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "nodes": [
            {
              "cpeMatch": [
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.1.42",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.2",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.4.7",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.2",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.5",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.2",
                  "vulnerable": true
                }
              ],
              "negate": false,
              "operator": "OR"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nsched/psi: use kernfs polling functions for PSI trigger polling\n\nDestroying psi trigger in cgroup_file_release causes UAF issues when\na cgroup is removed from under a polling process. This is happening\nbecause cgroup removal causes a call to cgroup_file_release while the\nactual file is still alive. Destroying the trigger at this point would\nalso destroy its waitqueue head and if there is still a polling process\non that file accessing the waitqueue, it will step on the freed pointer:\n\ndo_select\n  vfs_poll\n                           do_rmdir\n                             cgroup_rmdir\n                               kernfs_drain_open_files\n                                 cgroup_file_release\n                                   cgroup_pressure_release\n                                     psi_trigger_destroy\n                                       wake_up_pollfree(\u0026t-\u003eevent_wait)\n// vfs_poll is unblocked\n                                       synchronize_rcu\n                                       kfree(t)\n  poll_freewait -\u003e UAF access to the trigger\u0027s waitqueue head\n\nPatch [1] fixed this issue for epoll() case using wake_up_pollfree(),\nhowever the same issue exists for synchronous poll() case.\nThe root cause of this issue is that the lifecycles of the psi trigger\u0027s\nwaitqueue and of the file associated with the trigger are different. Fix\nthis by using kernfs_generic_poll function when polling on cgroup-specific\npsi triggers. It internally uses kernfs_open_node-\u003epoll waitqueue head\nwith its lifecycle tied to the file\u0027s lifecycle. This also renders the\nfix in [1] obsolete, so revert it.\n\n[1] commit c2dbe32d5db5 (\"sched/psi: Fix use-after-free in ep_remove_wait_queue()\")"
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "baseScore": 7.8,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          },
          "scenarios": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "value": "AV:L - The vulnerability is reached entirely through local syscalls (open/write/poll on a cgroup pressure file plus rmdir of the cgroup); there is no network component.\nAC:L - The attacker controls both racing sides (the polling thread and the rmdir that triggers psi_trigger_destroy) and can loop the sequence and tune scheduling to reliably win the race after kfree.\nPR:L - In the affected 6.4.y/6.5-rc code, psi_trigger_create explicitly allows unprivileged users to create 2s-window pollable triggers with no CAP_SYS_RESOURCE gate, reachable via systemd-delegated cgroups or user namespaces by an ordinary local user.\nUI:N - The attacker performs the poll and the cgroup removal itself; no action from any other user is required.\nS:U - The use-after-free is confined to the kernel\u0027s own memory and security authority, with no crossing of a VM/IOMMU/sandbox boundary.\nC:H - A use-after-free on the freed psi_trigger slab lets the attacker reallocate it with controlled contents and read back through the waitqueue pointer dereferences, enabling kernel memory disclosure.\nI:H - poll_freewait\u0027s remove_wait_queue performs list_del writes into the freed (and reallocatable) object, giving a write primitive that can be leveraged for arbitrary write / control-flow hijack via heap spraying.\nA:H - The use-after-free corrupts kernel heap state and reliably causes an oops/panic, resulting in denial of service."
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T09:16:37.375Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/92cc0153324b6ae8577a39f5bf2cd83c9a34ea6a"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d124ab17024cc85a1079b7810a018a497ebc13da"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aff037078ecaecf34a7c2afab1341815f90fba5e"
        }
      ],
      "title": "sched/psi: use kernfs polling functions for PSI trigger polling",
      "x_generator": {
        "engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2023-54019",
    "datePublished": "2025-12-24T10:55:49.840Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-12-24T10:53:46.179Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T09:16:37.375Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2",
  "vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
    "epss": {
      "cve": "CVE-2023-54019",
      "date": "2026-09-17",
      "epss": "0.00137",
      "percentile": "0.03483"
    },
    "nvd": "{\"cve\":{\"id\":\"CVE-2023-54019\",\"sourceIdentifier\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"published\":\"2025-12-24T11:15:54.903\",\"lastModified\":\"2026-08-04T10:19:25.627\",\"vulnStatus\":\"Deferred\",\"cveTags\":[],\"descriptions\":[{\"lang\":\"en\",\"value\":\"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\\n\\nsched/psi: use kernfs polling functions for PSI trigger polling\\n\\nDestroying psi trigger in cgroup_file_release causes UAF issues when\\na cgroup is removed from under a polling process. This is happening\\nbecause cgroup removal causes a call to cgroup_file_release while the\\nactual file is still alive. Destroying the trigger at this point would\\nalso destroy its waitqueue head and if there is still a polling process\\non that file accessing the waitqueue, it will step on the freed pointer:\\n\\ndo_select\\n  vfs_poll\\n                           do_rmdir\\n                             cgroup_rmdir\\n                               kernfs_drain_open_files\\n                                 cgroup_file_release\\n                                   cgroup_pressure_release\\n                                     psi_trigger_destroy\\n                                       wake_up_pollfree(\u0026t-\u003eevent_wait)\\n// vfs_poll is unblocked\\n                                       synchronize_rcu\\n                                       kfree(t)\\n  poll_freewait -\u003e UAF access to the trigger\u0027s waitqueue head\\n\\nPatch [1] fixed this issue for epoll() case using wake_up_pollfree(),\\nhowever the same issue exists for synchronous poll() case.\\nThe root cause of this issue is that the lifecycles of the psi trigger\u0027s\\nwaitqueue and of the file associated with the trigger are different. Fix\\nthis by using kernfs_generic_poll function when polling on cgroup-specific\\npsi triggers. It internally uses kernfs_open_node-\u003epoll waitqueue head\\nwith its lifecycle tied to the file\u0027s lifecycle. This also renders the\\nfix in [1] obsolete, so revert it.\\n\\n[1] commit c2dbe32d5db5 (\\\"sched/psi: Fix use-after-free in ep_remove_wait_queue()\\\")\"}],\"affected\":[{\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"affectedData\":[{\"vendor\":\"Linux\",\"product\":\"Linux\",\"defaultStatus\":\"unaffected\",\"programFiles\":[\"include/linux/psi.h\",\"include/linux/psi_types.h\",\"kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c\",\"kernel/sched/psi.c\"],\"repo\":\"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git\",\"versions\":[{\"version\":\"0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5\",\"lessThan\":\"92cc0153324b6ae8577a39f5bf2cd83c9a34ea6a\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5\",\"lessThan\":\"d124ab17024cc85a1079b7810a018a497ebc13da\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5\",\"lessThan\":\"aff037078ecaecf34a7c2afab1341815f90fba5e\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"}]},{\"vendor\":\"Linux\",\"product\":\"Linux\",\"defaultStatus\":\"affected\",\"programFiles\":[\"include/linux/psi.h\",\"include/linux/psi_types.h\",\"kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c\",\"kernel/sched/psi.c\"],\"repo\":\"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git\",\"versions\":[{\"version\":\"5.2\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"0\",\"lessThan\":\"5.2\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.1.42\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"6.1.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.4.7\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"6.4.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.5\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"*\",\"versionType\":\"original_commit_for_fix\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"}]}]}],\"metrics\":{\"cvssMetricV31\":[{\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"type\":\"Secondary\",\"cvssData\":{\"version\":\"3.1\",\"vectorString\":\"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H\",\"baseScore\":7.8,\"baseSeverity\":\"HIGH\",\"attackVector\":\"LOCAL\",\"attackComplexity\":\"LOW\",\"privilegesRequired\":\"LOW\",\"userInteraction\":\"NONE\",\"scope\":\"UNCHANGED\",\"confidentialityImpact\":\"HIGH\",\"integrityImpact\":\"HIGH\",\"availabilityImpact\":\"HIGH\"},\"exploitabilityScore\":1.8,\"impactScore\":5.9}]},\"references\":[{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/92cc0153324b6ae8577a39f5bf2cd83c9a34ea6a\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aff037078ecaecf34a7c2afab1341815f90fba5e\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d124ab17024cc85a1079b7810a018a497ebc13da\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"}]}}",
    "redhat_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "Low",
      "current_release_date": "2026-08-04T22:53:19+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2023-54019",
      "id": "CVE-2023-54019",
      "initial_release_date": "2023-01-01T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:fixed": "280",
      "product_status:known_affected": "70",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "126",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "kernel: sched/psi: use kernfs polling functions for PSI trigger polling",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2023/cve-2023-54019.json",
      "version": "3"
    }
  }
}



Log in or create an account to share your comment.




Tags
Taxonomy of the tags.





Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

Sightings

Author Source Type Date Other

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.


Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.


Related by attack behaviour

Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.