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Response snapshot Oct 28, 2026, 20:06 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2023-54220

Linux kernel: serial: 8250: Fix oops for port->pm on uart_change_pm()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: serial: 8250: Fix oops for port->pm on uart_change_pm() Unloading a hardware specific 8250 driver can produce error "Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address" about ten seconds after unloading the driver.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
7.8 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
Not estimated
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2023-54220 (opens a new tab)

What happened

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

serial: 8250: Fix oops for port->pm on uart_change_pm()

Unloading a hardware specific 8250 driver can produce error "Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address" about ten seconds after unloading the driver. This happens on uart_hangup() calling uart_change_pm().

Turns out commit 04e82793f068 ("serial: 8250: Reinit port->pm on port specific driver unbind") was only a partial fix. If the hardware specific driver has initialized port->pm function, we need to clear port->pm too. Just reinitializing port->ops does not do this. Otherwise serial8250_pm() will call port->pm() instead of serial8250_do_pm().

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

7.8

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

Not available

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2023-54220 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 28). Linux kernel: serial: 8250: Fix oops for port->pm on uart_change_pm() (CVE-2023-54220). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2023-54220

MLA

"Linux kernel: serial: 8250: Fix oops for port->pm on uart_change_pm() (CVE-2023-54220)." KEVWire, 28 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2023-54220.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: serial: 8250: Fix oops for port->pm on uart_change_pm() (CVE-2023-54220)." Last modified October 28, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2023-54220.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: serial: 8250: Fix oops for port->pm on uart_change_pm() (Dec 30, 2025).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

serial: 8250: Fix oops for port->pm on uart_change_pm()

Unloading a hardware specific 8250 driver can produce error "Unable to
handle kernel paging request at virtual address" about ten seconds after
unloading the driver. This happens on uart_hangup() calling
uart_change_pm().

Turns out commit 04e82793f068 ("serial: 8250: Reinit port->pm on port
specific driver unbind") was only a partial fix. If the hardware specific
driver has initialized port->pm function, we need to clear port->pm too.
CVSS 7.8 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 28, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-54220).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2023-54220: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-54220
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-28T18:31:08.168Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-28T20:05:58.019Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-28T17:55:58.678Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-28T19:30:56.852Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
Record ID: CVE-2023-54220.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 28, 2026, 20:05 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Deferred. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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Record details

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