CVE-2023-0030Public exploit

Crash or privilege escalation via stale VMA reuse

Published Mar 8, 2023 · Updated Mar 5, 2025

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel nouveau driver 5.0-rc1 allows local users to crash the system or escalate privileges. When nvkm_vma_tail cannot allocate a split VMA, nvkm_vmm_node_merge frees the original VMA, but nvkm_vmm_pfn_map continues through the next path with the stale pointer. Reaching the flaw requires local low-privileged access, the nouveau driver, and kernel memory pressure sufficient to make kzalloc fail; successful exploitation can crash the kernel or gain elevated privileges.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel nouveau driver 5.0-rc1 allows local users to crash the system or escalate privileges. When nvkm_vma_tail cannot allocate a split VMA, nvkm_vmm_node_merge frees the original VMA, but nvkm_vmm_pfn_map continues through the next path with the stale pointer. Reaching the flaw requires local low-privileged access, the nouveau driver, and kernel memory pressure sufficient to make kzalloc fail; successful exploitation can crash the kernel or gain elevated privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-0030
Published
Mar 8, 2023
Updated
Mar 5, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 8, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 5, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=Linux kernel 5.0-rc1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=Linux kernel 5.0-rc1

Published CVSS scores

7.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.1SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation DoS

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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