LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2023-53206: hwmon: (pmbus_core) Fix NULL pointer dereference

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: hwmon: (pmbus_core) Fix NULL pointer dereference Pass i2c_client to _pmbus_is_enabled to drop the assumption that a regulator device is passed in. This will fix the issue of a NULL pointer dereference when called from _pmbus_get_flags.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysisunknown

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This is a Linux kernel defect in PMBus hardware monitoring code. A bad assumption can trigger a NULL pointer dereference, which generally means a kernel crash or device instability risk. The public bundle does not provide CVSS, CWE, exploitability, or confirmed impact beyond the dereference fix.

Executive priority

Treat as a kernel reliability risk requiring normal patch governance, with higher priority for systems using PMBus monitoring in production infrastructure. There is not enough source evidence to justify emergency response based on exploitation alone.

Technical view

The issue is in hwmon pmbus_core. _pmbus_is_enabled assumed it received a regulator device, but _pmbus_get_flags could call it in a context where that assumption caused NULL dereference. The fix passes i2c_client instead. Public affected data references Linux 6.4, 6.4.8, and 6.5, but downstream distro mapping is incomplete.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely on Linux systems running affected kernel builds with PMBus hardware monitoring support. Server, appliance, embedded, or BMC-adjacent environments using PMBus-related sensors may be more relevant. The provided sources do not establish remote exposure or broad internet-facing risk.

Exploitation context

The CVE is not listed as KEV in the source bundle, and no cited source reports active exploitation. The available evidence supports a kernel NULL pointer dereference bug, not a confirmed public exploit path. Attack prerequisites and trigger conditions are not fully described.

Researcher notes

The public record is sparse: no CVSS, CWE, detailed trigger path, or exploit status is provided. Analysis should focus on commit review, kernel version lineage, distro backports, and whether local hardware monitoring paths can reach _pmbus_get_flags in deployed configurations.

Mitigation direction

  • Check Linux vendor or distribution advisories for fixed kernel packages.
  • Update to a kernel containing the referenced stable fixes.
  • Prioritize systems using PMBus or pmbus_core hardware monitoring.
  • Schedule reboot or live-patch workflow according to kernel update policy.
  • Track vendor notes for any clarified impact or mitigation guidance.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory systems running Linux kernel 6.4 or 6.5 family builds.
  • Confirm whether pmbus_core or PMBus hardware monitoring is present.
  • Map installed kernel packages to vendor fixed versions or commits.
  • Review kernel logs for pmbus_core NULL dereference or oops events.
  • Verify vulnerability scanner findings against distribution backport status.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
4

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2023-53206 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
0ADP providers
3Source links

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinuxdf5f6b6af01ca326dd4babb287c9580fed0ad3d6, df5f6b6af01ca326dd4babb287c9580fed0ad3d6unaffected
LinuxLinux6.4, 0, 6.4.8, 6.5affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.