ping: Fix potentail NULL deref for /proc/net/icmp.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ping: Fix potentail NULL deref for /proc/net/icmp. After commit dbca1596bbb0 ("ping: convert to RCU lookups, get rid of rwlock"), we use RCU for ping sockets, but we should use spinlock for /proc/net/icmp to avoid a potential NULL deref mentioned in the previous patch. Let's go back to using spinlock there. Note we can convert ping sockets to use hlist instead of hlist_nulls because we do not use SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU for ping sockets.
- Products
- Kernel
- Affected versions
- Not specified
- Fixed versions
- 6.1.24, 6.2.11
- CVEs
- CVE-2023-53987
- Confirmed fixed CVEs
- Not specified
- Updated in this feed
- 28 Oct 2026, 08:57 UTC · Revision 1
Source evidence
ping: Fix potentail NULL deref for /proc/net/icmp.
core-osv · Original sourcePublished 24 Dec 2025, 10:55 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ping: Fix potentail NULL deref for /proc/net/icmp. After commit dbca1596bbb0 ("ping: convert to RCU lookups, get rid of rwlock"), we use RCU for ping sockets, but we should use spinlock for /proc/net/icmp to avoid a potential NULL deref mentioned in the previous patch. Let's go back to using spinlock there. Note we can convert ping sockets to use hlist instead of hlist_nulls because we do not use SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU for ping sockets.
osv:CVE-2023-53987
Kernel
Fixed versions: 6.1.24, 6.2.11
Complete source record
{
"id": "72376f5a03bda7adaf5e3f52e12621985674061dfb286eb0201932d1673a5dfc",
"url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53987",
"method": "structured",
"payload": {
"kind": "advisory",
"title": "ping: Fix potentail NULL deref for /proc/net/icmp.",
"summary": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ping: Fix potentail NULL deref for /proc/net/icmp. After commit dbca1596bbb0 (\"ping: convert to RCU lookups, get rid of rwlock\"), we use RCU for ping sockets, but we should use spinlock for /proc/net/icmp to avoid a potential NULL deref mentioned in the previous patch. Let's go back to using spinlock there. Note we can convert ping sockets to use hlist instead of hlist_nulls because we do not use SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU for ping sockets.",
"evidence": "osv:CVE-2023-53987",
"products": [
{
"name": {
"value": "Kernel",
"evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [
{
"value": "6.1.24",
"evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
},
{
"value": "6.2.11",
"evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
}
],
"affected_versions": []
}
],
"severity": "unknown",
"structured": {
"id": "CVE-2023-53987",
"aliases": [
"CVE-2023-53987"
],
"affected": [
{
"ranges": [
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"type": "GIT",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "dbca1596bbb08318f5e3b3b99f8ca0a0d3830a65"
},
{
"fixed": "5a08a32e624908890aa0a2eb442bb6a7669891a8"
},
{
"fixed": "176cbb6da28f36506cc60a4bec4ab8df0c16713a"
},
{
"fixed": "ab5fb73ffa01072b4d8031cc05801fa1cb653bee"
}
]
},
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"type": "GIT",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "5.19.2"
},
{
"fixed": "5.20"
}
]
},
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"type": "GIT",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "de3d723a3985f282a8c9e468d1e198616eb291c8"
}
]
}
],
"versions": [
"v5.19.17",
"v5.19.16",
"v5.19.15",
"v5.19.14",
"v5.19.13",
"v5.19.12",
"v5.19.11",
"v5.19.10",
"v5.19.9",
"v5.19.8",
"v5.19.7",
"v5.19.6",
"v5.19.5",
"v5.19.4",
"v5.19.3",
"v5.19.2"
],
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2023-53987.json"
}
},
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "6.0.0"
},
{
"fixed": "6.1.24"
}
]
},
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "6.2.0"
},
{
"fixed": "6.2.11"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "Kernel",
"ecosystem": "Linux"
},
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2023-53987.json"
}
}
],
"modified": "2026-10-08T02:48:35.375029950Z",
"provider": "osv",
"references": [
"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/176cbb6da28f36506cc60a4bec4ab8df0c16713a",
"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5a08a32e624908890aa0a2eb442bb6a7669891a8",
"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ab5fb73ffa01072b4d8031cc05801fa1cb653bee",
"https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/53xxx/CVE-2023-53987.json",
"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53987",
"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git"
],
"provider_metadata": {
"cna_assigner": "Linux",
"osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/53xxx/CVE-2023-53987.json"
}
},
"related_cves": [
{
"value": "CVE-2023-53987",
"evidence": "/id"
}
],
"security_relevant": true,
"severity_evidence": null
},
"source_id": "core-osv",
"document_id": 98284,
"published_at": "2025-12-24T10:55:27.032+00:00"
}