Kernel memory corruption via stale lockdep key
Published Feb 25, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux 6.4 through 6.6.13 and 6.7 through 6.7.1 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory during class registration. On class_register() failure, drivers/base/class.c frees subsys_private without unregistering its embedded lock_class_key, leaving a stale lock_keys_hash entry. The condition requires lockdep, which normal systems do not enable, plus a duplicate class-name failure; later hash traversal performs an invalid write and can crash the kernel.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux 6.4 through 6.6.13 and 6.7 through 6.7.1 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory during class registration. On class_register() failure, drivers/base/class.c frees subsys_private without unregistering its embedded lock_class_key, leaving a stale lock_keys_hash entry. The condition requires lockdep, which normal systems do not enable, plus a duplicate class-name failure; later hash traversal performs an invalid write and can crash the kernel.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-52468
- Published
- Feb 25, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 25, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 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.
- Affected versionversion=6.4
- Affected versionversion=dcfbb67e48a2becfce7990386e985b9c45098ee5 <0f1486dafca3398c4c46b9f6e6452fa27e73b559
- Affected versionversion=dcfbb67e48a2becfce7990386e985b9c45098ee5 <93ec4a3b76404bce01bd5c9032bef5df6feb1d62
- Affected versionversion=dcfbb67e48a2becfce7990386e985b9c45098ee5 <b57196a5ec5e4c0ffecde8348b085b778c7dce04
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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