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

mptcp: stricter state check in mptcp_worker

As reported by Christoph, the mptcp protocol can run the
worker when the relevant msk socket is in an unexpected state:

connect()
// incoming reset + fastclose
// the mptcp worker is scheduled
mptcp_disconnect()
// msk is now CLOSED
listen()
mptcp_worker()

Leading to the following splat:

divide error: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP
CPU: 1 PID: 21 Comm: kworker/1:0 Not tainted 6.3.0-rc1-gde5e8fd0123c #11
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.11.0-2.el7 04/01/2014
Workqueue: events mptcp_worker
RIP: 0010:__tcp_select_window+0x22c/0x4b0 net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:3018
RSP: 0018:ffffc900000b3c98 EFLAGS: 00010293
RAX: 000000000000ffd7 RBX: 000000000000ffd7 RCX: 0000000000000000
RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffffffff8214ce97 RDI: 0000000000000004
RBP: 000000000000ffd7 R08: 0000000000000004 R09: 0000000000010000
R10: 000000000000ffd7 R11: ffff888005afa148 R12: 000000000000ffd7
R13: 0000000000000000 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 0000000000000000
FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff88803ed00000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
CR2: 0000000000405270 CR3: 000000003011e006 CR4: 0000000000370ee0
DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000
DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400
Call Trace:
<TASK>
tcp_select_window net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:262 [inline]
__tcp_transmit_skb+0x356/0x1280 net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:1345
tcp_transmit_skb net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:1417 [inline]
tcp_send_active_reset+0x13e/0x320 net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:3459
mptcp_check_fastclose net/mptcp/protocol.c:2530 [inline]
mptcp_worker+0x6c7/0x800 net/mptcp/protocol.c:2705
process_one_work+0x3bd/0x950 kernel/workqueue.c:2390
worker_thread+0x5b/0x610 kernel/workqueue.c:2537
kthread+0x138/0x170 kernel/kthread.c:376
ret_from_fork+0x2c/0x50 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:308
</TASK>

This change addresses the issue explicitly checking for bad states
before running the mptcp worker.

No CVSS v4.0

Attack Vector Local

Attack Complexity High

Privileges Required Low

Scope Unchanged

Confidentiality Impact High

Integrity Impact High

Availability Impact High

User Interaction None

No CVSS v3.0

No CVSS v2

This CVE is not in the KEV list.

The EPSS score is 0.00025.

Key SSVC decision points have not yet been added.

Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).

Vendor Product Default status Versions
Linux Linux unaffected
Version Status Constraints
e16163b6e2b720fb74e5af758546f6dad27e6c9e affected < f0b4a4086cf27240fc621a560da9735159049dcc
e16163b6e2b720fb74e5af758546f6dad27e6c9e affected < aff9099e9c51f15c8def05c75b2b73e8487b5d54
e16163b6e2b720fb74e5af758546f6dad27e6c9e affected < 19ea79e87af32c2b3c6fc49bd84efeb35ca57678
e16163b6e2b720fb74e5af758546f6dad27e6c9e affected < d6a0443733434408f2cbd4c53fea6910599bab9e
Linux Linux affected
Version Status Constraints
5.11 affected —
0 unaffected < 5.11
5.15.108 unaffected ≤ 5.15.*
6.1.25 unaffected ≤ 6.1.*
6.2.12 unaffected ≤ 6.2.*
6.3 unaffected ≤ *

No data.

No data.

No data.

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Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.

Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

References
Link Providers
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/19ea79e87af32c2b3c6fc49bd84efeb35ca57678 cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aff9099e9c51f15c8def05c75b2b73e8487b5d54 cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d6a0443733434408f2cbd4c53fea6910599bab9e cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f0b4a4086cf27240fc621a560da9735159049dcc cve-icon cve-icon
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2025123022-CVE-2023-54176-efc2@gregkh/T cve-icon
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-54176 cve-icon
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-54176 cve-icon
History

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 12:15:00 +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

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 12:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mptcp: stricter state check in mptcp_worker As reported by Christoph, the mptcp protocol can run the worker when the relevant msk socket is in an unexpected state: connect() // incoming reset + fastclose // the mptcp worker is scheduled mptcp_disconnect() // msk is now CLOSED listen() mptcp_worker() Leading to the following splat: divide error: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP CPU: 1 PID: 21 Comm: kworker/1:0 Not tainted 6.3.0-rc1-gde5e8fd0123c #11 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.11.0-2.el7 04/01/2014 Workqueue: events mptcp_worker RIP: 0010:__tcp_select_window+0x22c/0x4b0 net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:3018 RSP: 0018:ffffc900000b3c98 EFLAGS: 00010293 RAX: 000000000000ffd7 RBX: 000000000000ffd7 RCX: 0000000000000000 RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffffffff8214ce97 RDI: 0000000000000004 RBP: 000000000000ffd7 R08: 0000000000000004 R09: 0000000000010000 R10: 000000000000ffd7 R11: ffff888005afa148 R12: 000000000000ffd7 R13: 0000000000000000 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 0000000000000000 FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff88803ed00000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 0000000000405270 CR3: 000000003011e006 CR4: 0000000000370ee0 DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000 DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400 Call Trace: <TASK> tcp_select_window net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:262 [inline] __tcp_transmit_skb+0x356/0x1280 net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:1345 tcp_transmit_skb net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:1417 [inline] tcp_send_active_reset+0x13e/0x320 net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:3459 mptcp_check_fastclose net/mptcp/protocol.c:2530 [inline] mptcp_worker+0x6c7/0x800 net/mptcp/protocol.c:2705 process_one_work+0x3bd/0x950 kernel/workqueue.c:2390 worker_thread+0x5b/0x610 kernel/workqueue.c:2537 kthread+0x138/0x170 kernel/kthread.c:376 ret_from_fork+0x2c/0x50 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:308 </TASK> This change addresses the issue explicitly checking for bad states before running the mptcp worker.
Title mptcp: stricter state check in mptcp_worker
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Projects

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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2025-12-30T12:08:48.915Z

Reserved: 2025-12-30T12:06:44.496Z

Link: CVE-2023-54176

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2025-12-30T13:16:05.470

Modified: 2025-12-31T20:43:05.160

Link: CVE-2023-54176

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Important

Publid Date: 2025-12-30T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2023-54176 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses

No weakness.