CVE-2023-3159Public exploit

System crash via freed FireWire client dereference

Published Jun 12, 2023 · Updated Apr 23, 2025

Use-after-free in the Linux Kernel FireWire driver before 5.18-rc6 allows local users with elevated privileges to crash the system. In outbound_phy_packet_callback(), queue_event() can free the event that owns e, after which client_put(e->client) dereferences that freed object. The demonstrated consequence is an invalid memory access; Ubuntu also reports possible arbitrary code execution, and exploitation requires elevated local privileges.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.21%
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 FireWire driver before 5.18-rc6 allows local users with elevated privileges to crash the system. In outbound_phy_packet_callback(), queue_event() can free the event that owns e, after which client_put(e->client) dereferences that freed object. The demonstrated consequence is an invalid memory access; Ubuntu also reports possible arbitrary code execution, and exploitation requires elevated local privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-3159
Published
Jun 12, 2023
Updated
Apr 23, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-416, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 12, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 23, 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=Kernel version prior to Kernel 5.18-rc6

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=Kernel version prior to Kernel 5.18-rc6

Published CVSS scores

6.7CISA ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.7NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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