CVE-2023-53166
- Published: 2025-09-15T14:15:38.343
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
power: supply: bq25890: Fix external_power_changed race
bq25890_charger_external_power_changed() dereferences bq->charger,
which gets sets in bq25890_power_supply_init() like this:
bq->charger = devm_power_supply_register(bq->dev, &bq->desc, &psy_cfg);
As soon as devm_power_supply_register() has called device_add()
the external_power_changed callback can get called. So there is a window
where bq25890_charger_external_power_changed() may get called while
bq->charger has not been set yet leading to a NULL pointer dereference.
This race hits during boot sometimes on a Lenovo Yoga Book 1 yb1-x90f
when the cht_wcove_pwrsrc (extcon) power_supply is done with detecting
the connected charger-type which happens to exactly hit the small window:
BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000018
RIP: 0010:__power_supply_is_supplied_by+0xb/0xb0
Call Trace:
__power_supply_get_supplier_property+0x19/0x50
class_for_each_device+0xb1/0xe0
power_supply_get_property_from_supplier+0x2e/0x50
bq25890_charger_external_power_changed+0x38/0x1b0 [bq25890_charger]
__power_supply_changed_work+0x30/0x40
class_for_each_device+0xb1/0xe0
power_supply_changed_work+0x5f/0xe0
Fixing this is easy. The external_power_changed callback gets passed
the power_supply which will eventually get stored in bq->charger,
so bq25890_charger_external_power_changed() can simply directly use
the passed in psy argument which is always valid.
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How to fix CVE-2023-53166
Description: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: power: supply: bq25890: Fix external_power_changed race bq25890_charger_external_power_changed() dereferences bq->charger, which gets sets in bq25890_power_supply_init() like this: bq->charger = devm_power_supply_register(bq->dev, &bq->desc, &psy_cfg); As soon as devm_power_supply_register() has called device_add() the external_power_changed callback can get called. So there is a window where bq25890_charger_external_power_changed() may get called while […]
Exploit Difficulty: HARD
⏱️ Time to exploit: > 4 hours
🛠️ Required skills: Advanced security expertise
💰 Public exploits: Rare or not public
How to Fix:
- Check if you're running the affected product
- Update to the latest patched version
- If patching is not immediately possible: restrict network exposure, apply least-privilege access
- Test the fix in a staging environment first
- Review logs for signs of exploitation
- Monitor for IOCs (Indicators of Compromise)
- Enable automatic security updates
- Set up vulnerability monitoring
- Review and harden security configurations
Exploit Difficulty Assessment
Vulnerability Timeline
CVE details first published to NVD database
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