CVE-2023-53064: 
Linux Kernel vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2023-53064 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel affecting the iavf (Intel Adaptive Virtual Function) network driver, discovered in systems with Intel E810 network adapters that have existing Virtual Functions (VFs) during system reboot operations. The vulnerability was published on May 2, 2025 (NVD).

The vulnerability occurs during the system reboot process when the iavf driver's shutdown sequence is executed. During reboot, all drivers' PM shutdown callbacks are invoked, where iavfshutdown() changes the adapter state to _IAVFREMOVE. When iceshutdown() is subsequently executed, it calls iavfremove(), which expects the VF to be in one of three states: _IAVFRUNNING, _IAVFDOWN, or _IAVFINITFAILED. If the VF is already in _IAVFREMOVE state, the system enters an infinite sleep condition (Wiz).

When exploited, this vulnerability causes the system to hang indefinitely during reboot operations. The issue specifically affects Process ID 1 (systemd-shutdown), which becomes stuck in the iavf_remove() function, preventing the system from completing its shutdown sequence (Wiz).

The issue has been fixed in the Linux kernel by modifying the iavfremove() function to return immediately if the adapter state is _IAVFREMOVE, as this indicates the shutdown sequence has already been initiated through iavfshutdown(). The fix has been incorporated into various Linux distributions including Ubuntu and Debian (Wiz).