CVE-2023-0266Known exploitation

Local privilege escalation via unlocked compat ioctl

Published Jan 30, 2023 · Updated Oct 21, 2025

Use-after-free in the Linux Kernel ALSA control interface allows local users to gain ring0 privileges through 32-bit ioctl calls. The 32-bit compatibility path calls snd_ctl_elem_read without holding controls_rwsem, allowing concurrent control removal to free an object while it remains in use. Exploitation requires local system-user code execution and compatibility-path access; successful abuse provides kernel arbitrary read and write access.

CVSS severity7.9
High
EPSS probability3.70%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux Kernel ALSA control interface allows local users to gain ring0 privileges through 32-bit ioctl calls. The 32-bit compatibility path calls snd_ctl_elem_read without holding controls_rwsem, allowing concurrent control removal to free an object while it remains in use. Exploitation requires local system-user code execution and compatibility-path access; successful abuse provides kernel arbitrary read and write access.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-0266
Published
Jan 30, 2023
Updated
Oct 21, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-416, CAPEC-233, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 1, 2022Exploitation reportedSamsung Android exploit chain
  2. Jan 30, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  3. Mar 30, 2023Exploitation reportedCISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities entry
  4. Oct 21, 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=4.14 <56b88b50565cd8b946a2d00b0c83927b7ebb055e

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=4.14 <56b88b50565cd8b946a2d00b0c83927b7ebb055e

Published CVSS scores

7.9Google LLCCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H
7.8OracleCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.0NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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 exploitationReported
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
CAPEC-233Privilege Escalation
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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