CVE-2023-52439

Local privilege escalation via UIO device race

Published Feb 20, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel UIO subsystem allows local users to escalate privileges by racing device open and removal operations. The uio_open path obtains idev from the minor IDR without atomically taking a device reference, allowing uio_unregister_device to free it before get_device runs. Access to a local /dev/uioN node is required; winning the race enables kernel memory disclosure or corruption, control-flow hijacking, or a kernel panic.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.30%
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 UIO subsystem allows local users to escalate privileges by racing device open and removal operations. The uio_open path obtains idev from the minor IDR without atomically taking a device reference, allowing uio_unregister_device to free it before get_device runs. Access to a local /dev/uioN node is required; winning the race enables kernel memory disclosure or corruption, control-flow hijacking, or a kernel panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-52439
Published
Feb 20, 2024
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-415, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 20, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 2026Record 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=13af019c87f2d90e663742cb1a819834048842ae
  2. Affected versionversion=4.14.100 <4.15
  3. Affected versionversion=4.18
  4. Affected versionversion=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <0c9ae0b8605078eafc3bea053cc78791e97ba2e2
  5. Affected versionversion=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <17a8519cb359c3b483fb5c7367efa9a8a508bdea
  6. Affected versionversion=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <3174e0f7de1ba392dc191625da83df02d695b60c
  7. Affected versionversion=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <35f102607054faafe78d2a6994b18d5d9d6e92ad
  8. Affected versionversion=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <5cf604ee538ed0c467abe3b4cda5308a6398f0f7
  9. Affected versionversion=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <5e0be1229ae199ebb90b33102f74a0f22d152570
  10. Affected versionversion=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <913205930da6213305616ac539447702eaa85e41
  11. Affected versionversion=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <e93da893d52d82d57fc0db2ca566024e0f26ff50

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=13af019c87f2d90e663742cb1a819834048842ae; version=4.14.100 <4.15; version=4.18; version=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <0c9ae0b8605078eafc3bea053cc78791e97ba2e2; version=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <17a8519cb359c3b483fb5c7367efa9a8a508bdea; version=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <3174e0f7de1ba392dc191625da83df02d695b60c; version=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <35f102607054faafe78d2a6994b18d5d9d6e92ad; version=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <5cf604ee538ed0c467abe3b4cda5308a6398f0f7; version=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <5e0be1229ae199ebb90b33102f74a0f22d152570; version=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <913205930da6213305616ac539447702eaa85e41; version=57c5f4df0a5a0ee83df799991251e2ee93a5e4e9 <e93da893d52d82d57fc0db2ca566024e0f26ff50

Published CVSS scores

7.8Linux kernel CVE teamCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-415Double Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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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