CVE-2023-52492

Kernel crash via unconditional DMA channel unregistration

Published Feb 29, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel dmaengine allows local users with high privileges to crash the kernel during channel cleanup. After channel registration fails and frees chan->local, __dma_async_device_channel_unregister() unconditionally unregisters the channel and dereferences the null pointer. Reaching the fault requires privileged local control of a DMA controller driver or the managed unregistration path, and the bounded consequence is a kernel crash.

CVSS severity4.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.27%
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 Linux kernel dmaengine allows local users with high privileges to crash the kernel during channel cleanup. After channel registration fails and frees chan->local, __dma_async_device_channel_unregister() unconditionally unregisters the channel and dereferences the null pointer. Reaching the fault requires privileged local control of a DMA controller driver or the managed unregistration path, and the bounded consequence is a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-52492
Published
Feb 29, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 29, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=5.6
  2. Affected versionversion=d2fb0a0438384fee08a418025f743913020033ce <047fce470412ab64cb7345f9ff5d06919078ad79
  3. Affected versionversion=d2fb0a0438384fee08a418025f743913020033ce <2ab32986a0b9e329eb7f8f04dd57cc127f797c08
  4. Affected versionversion=d2fb0a0438384fee08a418025f743913020033ce <7f0ccfad2031eddcc510caf4e57f2d4aa2d8a50b
  5. Affected versionversion=d2fb0a0438384fee08a418025f743913020033ce <9263fd2a63487c6d04cbb7b74a48fb12e1e352d0
  6. Affected versionversion=d2fb0a0438384fee08a418025f743913020033ce <9de69732dde4e443c1c7f89acbbed2c45a6a8e17
  7. Affected versionversion=d2fb0a0438384fee08a418025f743913020033ce <f5c24d94512f1b288262beda4d3dcb9629222fc7

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.6; version=d2fb0a0438384fee08a418025f743913020033ce <047fce470412ab64cb7345f9ff5d06919078ad79; version=d2fb0a0438384fee08a418025f743913020033ce <2ab32986a0b9e329eb7f8f04dd57cc127f797c08; version=d2fb0a0438384fee08a418025f743913020033ce <7f0ccfad2031eddcc510caf4e57f2d4aa2d8a50b; version=d2fb0a0438384fee08a418025f743913020033ce <9263fd2a63487c6d04cbb7b74a48fb12e1e352d0; version=d2fb0a0438384fee08a418025f743913020033ce <9de69732dde4e443c1c7f89acbbed2c45a6a8e17; version=d2fb0a0438384fee08a418025f743913020033ce <f5c24d94512f1b288262beda4d3dcb9629222fc7

Published CVSS scores

4.4CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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