Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

cgroup,freezer: hold cpu_hotplug_lock before freezer_mutex

syzbot is reporting circular locking dependency between cpu_hotplug_lock
and freezer_mutex, for commit f5d39b020809 ("freezer,sched: Rewrite core
freezer logic") replaced atomic_inc() in freezer_apply_state() with
static_branch_inc() which holds cpu_hotplug_lock.

cpu_hotplug_lock => cgroup_threadgroup_rwsem => freezer_mutex

cgroup_file_write() {
cgroup_procs_write() {
__cgroup_procs_write() {
cgroup_procs_write_start() {
cgroup_attach_lock() {
cpus_read_lock() {
percpu_down_read(&cpu_hotplug_lock);
}
percpu_down_write(&cgroup_threadgroup_rwsem);
}
}
cgroup_attach_task() {
cgroup_migrate() {
cgroup_migrate_execute() {
freezer_attach() {
mutex_lock(&freezer_mutex);
(...snipped...)
}
}
}
}
(...snipped...)
}
}
}

freezer_mutex => cpu_hotplug_lock

cgroup_file_write() {
freezer_write() {
freezer_change_state() {
mutex_lock(&freezer_mutex);
freezer_apply_state() {
static_branch_inc(&freezer_active) {
static_key_slow_inc() {
cpus_read_lock();
static_key_slow_inc_cpuslocked();
cpus_read_unlock();
}
}
}
mutex_unlock(&freezer_mutex);
}
}
}

Swap locking order by moving cpus_read_lock() in freezer_apply_state()
to before mutex_lock(&freezer_mutex) in freezer_change_state().
Published: 2025-10-01
Score: 7.8 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

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Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

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Tracking

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Advisories
Source ID Title
EUVD EUVD EUVD-2025-31876
History

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 20:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses NVD-CWE-noinfo
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

 cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

 cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

threat_severity

Important

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cgroup,freezer: hold cpu_hotplug_lock before freezer_mutex syzbot is reporting circular locking dependency between cpu_hotplug_lock and freezer_mutex, for commit f5d39b020809 ("freezer,sched: Rewrite core freezer logic") replaced atomic_inc() in freezer_apply_state() with static_branch_inc() which holds cpu_hotplug_lock. cpu_hotplug_lock => cgroup_threadgroup_rwsem => freezer_mutex cgroup_file_write() { cgroup_procs_write() { __cgroup_procs_write() { cgroup_procs_write_start() { cgroup_attach_lock() { cpus_read_lock() { percpu_down_read(&cpu_hotplug_lock); } percpu_down_write(&cgroup_threadgroup_rwsem); } } cgroup_attach_task() { cgroup_migrate() { cgroup_migrate_execute() { freezer_attach() { mutex_lock(&freezer_mutex); (...snipped...) } } } } (...snipped...) } } } freezer_mutex => cpu_hotplug_lock cgroup_file_write() { freezer_write() { freezer_change_state() { mutex_lock(&freezer_mutex); freezer_apply_state() { static_branch_inc(&freezer_active) { static_key_slow_inc() { cpus_read_lock(); static_key_slow_inc_cpuslocked(); cpus_read_unlock(); } } } mutex_unlock(&freezer_mutex); } } } Swap locking order by moving cpus_read_lock() in freezer_apply_state() to before mutex_lock(&freezer_mutex) in freezer_change_state().
Title cgroup,freezer: hold cpu_hotplug_lock before freezer_mutex
References

Subscriptions

Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-05-11T19:46:36.143Z

Reserved: 2025-10-01T11:39:39.407Z

Link: CVE-2023-53522

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2025-10-01T12:15:56.617

Modified: 2026-04-06T13:14:23.873

Link: CVE-2023-53522

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Important

Publid Date: 2025-10-01T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2023-53522 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2025-10-02T08:38:41Z

Weaknesses