CVE-2023-52481

Privileged data disclosure via speculative load forwarding

Published Feb 29, 2024 · Updated Aug 15, 2026

Information disclosure in the Linux kernel allows local users on affected Cortex-A520 cores to read privileged data through a cache side channel. During an EL1-to-EL0 return, the arm64 kernel_exit path performs privileged stack loads and returns without the TLBI and barrier needed to clear speculative value-forwarding state. Exposure requires Cortex-A520 r0p0 or r0p1, a shared ASID and VMID translation regime, and no KPTI; affected cores normally run without KPTI because CSV3 and E0PD suppress that isolation.

CVSS severity4.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.60%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Information disclosure in the Linux kernel allows local users on affected Cortex-A520 cores to read privileged data through a cache side channel. During an EL1-to-EL0 return, the arm64 kernel_exit path performs privileged stack loads and returns without the TLBI and barrier needed to clear speculative value-forwarding state. Exposure requires Cortex-A520 r0p0 or r0p1, a shared ASID and VMID translation regime, and no KPTI; affected cores normally run without KPTI because CSV3 and E0PD suppress that isolation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-52481
Published
Feb 29, 2024
Updated
Aug 15, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1005
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 29, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 15, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=3.7
  2. Affected versionversion=60ffc30d5652810dd34ea2eec41504222f5d5791 <32b0a4ffcaea44a00a61e40c0d1bcc50362aee25
  3. Affected versionversion=60ffc30d5652810dd34ea2eec41504222f5d5791 <471470bc7052d28ce125901877dd10e4c048e513
  4. Affected versionversion=60ffc30d5652810dd34ea2eec41504222f5d5791 <6e3ae2927b432a3b7c8374f14dbc1bd9ebe4372c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.7; version=60ffc30d5652810dd34ea2eec41504222f5d5791 <32b0a4ffcaea44a00a61e40c0d1bcc50362aee25; version=60ffc30d5652810dd34ea2eec41504222f5d5791 <471470bc7052d28ce125901877dd10e4c048e513; version=60ffc30d5652810dd34ea2eec41504222f5d5791 <6e3ae2927b432a3b7c8374f14dbc1bd9ebe4372c

Published CVSS scores

4.7CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1005Data from Local System

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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo