CVE-2023-38470Public exploit

Daemon crash via undersized escaped-label buffer

Published Nov 2, 2023 · Updated Nov 3, 2025

Reachable assertion in Avahi allows local users to crash avahi-daemon with a crafted hostname supplied through D-Bus. avahi_normalize_name permits only one output byte to remain before appending a label-separator dot, leaving no capacity when avahi_escape_label asserts that its output buffer is nonempty. Any local user able to submit a hostname to the daemon's D-Bus resolver API can abort the service, interrupting mDNS and DNS-SD discovery until it restarts.

CVSS severity6.2
Medium
EPSS probability0.32%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Reachable assertion in Avahi allows local users to crash avahi-daemon with a crafted hostname supplied through D-Bus. avahi_normalize_name permits only one output byte to remain before appending a label-separator dot, leaving no capacity when avahi_escape_label asserts that its output buffer is nonempty. Any local user able to submit a hostname to the daemon's D-Bus resolver API can abort the service, interrupting mDNS and DNS-SD discovery until it restarts.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-38470
Published
Nov 2, 2023
Updated
Nov 3, 2025
Vendor
Red Hat
Product
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Classifications
CWE-617, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 2, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 3, 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 versions are unavailable in this record. Check the vendor advisory for version and patch details.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8Affected versions are unavailable in this record.
Avahi · AvahiAffected versions are unavailable in this record.
Fedora Project · Fedora LinuxAffected versions are unavailable in this record.
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9Affected versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
6.2Red Hat, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-617Reachable Assertion
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

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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