CVE-2023-42754Public exploit

System crash via device-less IPVS-rerouted socket buffer

Published Oct 5, 2023 · Updated Nov 6, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in the IPv4 stack in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 and 9 allows local users to crash the system. In ipv4_send_dest_unreach(), an IPVS-rerouted socket buffer can have skb->dev set to NULL, but __ip_options_compile dereferences it through dev_net(). The crash requires local access with CAP_NET_ADMIN and the affected IPVS rerouting path; successful triggering causes a kernel panic and service interruption.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.41%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in the IPv4 stack in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 and 9 allows local users to crash the system. In ipv4_send_dest_unreach(), an IPVS-rerouted socket buffer can have skb->dev set to NULL, but __ip_options_compile dereferences it through dev_net(). The crash requires local access with CAP_NET_ADMIN and the affected IPVS rerouting path; successful triggering causes a kernel panic and service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-42754
Published
Oct 5, 2023
Updated
Nov 6, 2025
Vendor
Red Hat
Product
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 5, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 6, 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 privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8Affected versions are unavailable in this record.
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9Affected versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

5.5Red Hat, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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.

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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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application 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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