CVE-2023-1079

System crash via uncanceled keyboard-backlight work

Published Mar 27, 2023 · Updated Feb 19, 2025

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel ASUS HID driver allows physically proximate attackers to crash systems with a crafted USB device. The asus_remove path frees an asus_kbd_leds structure without preventing queued keyboard-backlight work from using it. Exploitation requires physical USB access and an ASUS-emulating HID device; the stale work dereference can corrupt controlled memory or crash the system.

CVSS severity6.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.45%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel ASUS HID driver allows physically proximate attackers to crash systems with a crafted USB device. The asus_remove path frees an asus_kbd_leds structure without preventing queued keyboard-backlight work from using it. Exploitation requires physical USB access and an ASUS-emulating HID device; the stale work dereference can corrupt controlled memory or crash the system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-1079
Published
Mar 27, 2023
Updated
Feb 19, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-416, T1200
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 27, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 19, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=unknown

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=unknown

Published CVSS scores

6.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/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)
Vectorphysical
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1200Hardware Additions

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.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo