Privilege escalation via incorrect eBPF path pruning
Published Sep 20, 2023 · Updated Feb 27, 2025
Privilege escalation in Linux Kernel 5.4 and later allows local users with CAP_BPF or CAP_SYS_ADMIN to read and write kernel memory. The eBPF verifier's branch-pruning code fails to propagate precision marks through parent verifier states, so it treats a scalar-dependent unsafe path as equivalent to an already explored safe path. Loading a crafted eBPF program requires CAP_BPF or CAP_SYS_ADMIN and enables host privilege escalation or container escape.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Linux Kernel 5.4 and later allows local users with CAP_BPF or CAP_SYS_ADMIN to read and write kernel memory. The eBPF verifier's branch-pruning code fails to propagate precision marks through parent verifier states, so it treats a scalar-dependent unsafe path as equivalent to an already explored safe path. Loading a crafted eBPF program requires CAP_BPF or CAP_SYS_ADMIN and enables host privilege escalation or container escape.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-2163
- Published
- Sep 20, 2023
- Updated
- Feb 27, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- T1068, T1611
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 20, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 27, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=0 <71b547f561247897a0a14f3082730156c0533fed
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Public exploit references
- CVE-2023-2163 Path pruning proof of conceptfunctional · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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