CVE-2023-33203

System crash via unfinished EMAC removal work

Published May 18, 2023 · Updated May 5, 2025

Use-after-free in the Qualcomm EMAC driver in the Linux kernel before 6.2.9 allows physically proximate attackers to crash the system. The emac_remove function frees the network device without first canceling work started by the timeout or interrupt handlers, allowing emac_work_thread to access the freed device. Exploitation requires physical device removal or privileged driver unbinding; the demonstrated consequence is a system crash.

CVSS severity6.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.35%
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 Qualcomm EMAC driver in the Linux kernel before 6.2.9 allows physically proximate attackers to crash the system. The emac_remove function frees the network device without first canceling work started by the timeout or interrupt handlers, allowing emac_work_thread to access the freed device. Exploitation requires physical device removal or privileged driver unbinding; the demonstrated consequence is a system crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-33203
Published
May 18, 2023
Updated
May 5, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-362, T1499
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 18, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 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?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

6.4CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.4NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorphysical
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-362Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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