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.

Related CVE by CWE

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How to fix CVE-2023-53166

CVE-2023-53166 is a unknown severity vulnerability affecting the affected product.

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:

1 Identify affected systems

- Check if you're running the affected product

2 Immediate actions

- Update to the latest patched version
- If patching is not immediately possible: restrict network exposure, apply least-privilege access

3 Verification

- Test the fix in a staging environment first
- Review logs for signs of exploitation
- Monitor for IOCs (Indicators of Compromise)

4 Long-term prevention

- Enable automatic security updates
- Set up vulnerability monitoring
- Review and harden security configurations

Exploit Difficulty Assessment

HARD
⏱️ Time to Exploit: > 4 hours
🛠️ Skills Required: Advanced security expertise
💰 Public Exploits: Rare or not public

Vulnerability Timeline

Sep 15, 2025
Vulnerability Published

CVE details first published to NVD database

Nov 12, 2025
Imported to Database

Added to this CVE tracking system

Detection Rules & IOCs

No specific detection rules generated for this vulnerability type.

No vendor/product data available.