CVE-2023-53498 – This CVE describes a NULL pointer dereference v... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-53498?

CVE-2023-53498 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This CVE describes a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the AMD GPU display driver within the Linux kernel. If exploited, it could cause a kernel panic or system crash when the amdgpu_dm_fini() function is called. This affects Linux systems with AMD graphics hardware using the affected kernel versions.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the AMD GPU display driver within the Linux kernel. If exploited, it could cause a kernel panic or system crash when the amdgpu_dm_fini() function is called. This affects Linux systems with AMD graphics hardware using the affected kernel versions.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with AMD GPU display driver (drm/amd/display)

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

Operating Systems: Linux distributions with affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires AMD GPU hardware and the amdgpu driver. The vulnerability is triggered during driver cleanup/finalization.

📦 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 →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially causing data loss or system instability.

🟠

Likely Case

System crash or kernel panic when the display driver cleanup function is invoked, resulting in denial of service.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if the NULL pointer check prevents the dereference, or if the vulnerable code path isn't triggered.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a local kernel vulnerability requiring local access or ability to trigger the vulnerable code path.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or processes could potentially trigger the vulnerability, causing system instability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access and ability to trigger the amdgpu_dm_fini() function. Likely requires specific conditions to trigger the NULL pointer scenario.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing the fix commits: 281933f36a53fed1c2993a92cf1edfb424595474, 4b1afffdd94093118b3cc235ef2b4d2520fb4950, 52f1783ff4146344342422c1cd94fcb4ce39b6fe, 624a60911b71af08a912ee8a296b271b3e7b34ab, b75aaebac265e3f29863699d9a929fdfba13d0a4

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/281933f36a53fed1c2993a92cf1edfb424595474

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. For distributions: Use package manager to update kernel package. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Avoid triggering driver cleanup

linux

Avoid scenarios that trigger amdgpu_dm_fini() function, such as unloading the amdgpu module or system shutdown with AMD GPU active.

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local access to prevent potential exploitation by untrusted users
Monitor system logs for kernel panic events related to amdgpu driver

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and whether it contains the vulnerable code. Use 'uname -r' and compare with affected versions.

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version contains one of the fix commits. Check /proc/version or use distribution-specific package verification.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages
NULL pointer dereference errors in dmesg
amdgpu driver crash logs

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer dereference" OR "kernel panic" OR "amdgpu")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-53498

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-476

EPSS Score: 0.03% exploit probability (9.1th percentile)

Published: October 1, 2025

Last Updated: January 16, 2026

🔗 References

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