CVE-2023-53051 – This CVE describes a denial-of-service vulnerab... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-53051?

CVE-2023-53051 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This CVE describes a denial-of-service vulnerability in the Linux kernel's dm-crypt subsystem where the dmcrypt_write() function could cause a soft lockup by running in an unbounded loop without yielding CPU time. Systems using dm-crypt for disk encryption are affected, potentially causing system hangs or crashes during intensive I/O operations.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a denial-of-service vulnerability in the Linux kernel's dm-crypt subsystem where the dmcrypt_write() function could cause a soft lockup by running in an unbounded loop without yielding CPU time. Systems using dm-crypt for disk encryption are affected, potentially causing system hangs or crashes during intensive I/O operations.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with dm-crypt module

Versions: Specific kernel versions containing the vulnerable code (check git commits for exact ranges)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems using dm-crypt for disk encryption. The vulnerability is triggered during intensive write operations to dm-crypt devices.

📦 What is this software?

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete system lockup requiring hard reboot, potentially causing data corruption or loss in systems using dm-crypt encryption.

🟠

Likely Case

System becomes unresponsive during heavy disk I/O operations, requiring intervention to restore normal operation.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minor performance impact with occasional context switches during intensive write operations.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This vulnerability requires local access to the system and cannot be triggered remotely.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or processes with write access to dm-crypt devices could trigger the condition, potentially causing system instability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires local access and ability to generate intensive write operations to dm-crypt devices. The vulnerability was discovered through normal system monitoring (watchdog warnings).

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits: 2c743db1193bf0e76c73d71ede08bd9b96e6c31d, 66ff37993dd7e9954b6446237fe2453b380ce40d, 7b9f8efb5fc888dd938d2964e705b8e00f1dc0f6, 885c28ceae7dab2b18c2cc0eb95f1f82b1f629d1, e87cd83f70504f1cd2e428966f353c007d6d2d7f

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2c743db1193bf0e76c73d71ede08bd9b96e6c31d

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update to a patched kernel version from your distribution's repositories. 2. Reboot the system to load the new kernel. 3. Verify the fix by checking kernel version and monitoring for watchdog warnings.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Limit dm-crypt write operations

linux

Reduce the likelihood of triggering the condition by limiting write operations to dm-crypt devices

# Use I/O scheduling or rate limiting tools
# Consider using ionice to lower priority of dm-crypt processes
# Monitor system logs for watchdog warnings

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Monitor system logs for 'soft lockup' or 'watchdog' warnings related to dmcrypt_write
Consider temporarily disabling or reducing usage of dm-crypt encryption for non-critical systems

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and look for watchdog warnings in dmesg or system logs mentioning 'dmcrypt_write' and 'soft lockup'

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Check that kernel version includes the fix commits and monitor for absence of watchdog warnings during intensive I/O operations

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

watchdog: BUG: soft lockup - CPU# stuck for Xs! [dmcrypt_write/
kernel: watchdog: BUG: soft lockup
dmesg warnings about dmcrypt_write causing CPU stalls

Network Indicators:

None - this is a local vulnerability

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("soft lockup" AND "dmcrypt_write") OR ("watchdog" AND "dmcrypt_write")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-53051

CVSS v3 Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CWE: CWE-835

EPSS Score: 0.02% exploit probability (5.5th percentile)

Published: May 2, 2025

Last Updated: November 12, 2025

🔗 References

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