NULL pointer dereference in Linux
CVE-2023-53603
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: scsi: qla2xxx: Avoid fcport pointer dereference Klocwork reported warning of NULL pointer may be dereferenced. The routine exits when sa_ctl is NULL and fcport is allocated after the exit call thus causing NULL fcport pointer to dereference at the time of exit. To avoid fcport pointer dereference, exit the routine when sa_ctl is NULL.
EPSS: 0.001 (3.5th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 5.5 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
Affected products
- Linux — versions 5.18.18, 6.5, 5.19.2
- Linux Linux_kernel
Weakness classification (CWE)
Public proof-of-concept exploits
References
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2023-53603?
- CVE-2023-53603 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux, classified under NULL Pointer Dereference. CVSS score: 5.5/10. Published 2025-10-04.
- How severe is CVE-2023-53603?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 5.5 out of 10.
- Is CVE-2023-53603 known to be exploited?
- 1 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.