Local privilege escalation via unlocked RCU traversal
Published Mar 26, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux kernel SUNRPC allows local users to gain kernel privileges through pNFS client I/O on affected releases. The rpc_xprt_switch_has_addr function traverses an RCU-protected transport list without taking rcu_read_lock, allowing concurrent deletion to free rpc_xprt entries while they are read. An unprivileged process needs access to an already-mounted NFSv4.1/pNFS share; successful exploitation enables kernel heap disclosure, memory corruption, control-flow hijacking, or a host panic.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux kernel SUNRPC allows local users to gain kernel privileges through pNFS client I/O on affected releases. The rpc_xprt_switch_has_addr function traverses an RCU-protected transport list without taking rcu_read_lock, allowing concurrent deletion to free rpc_xprt entries while they are read. An unprivileged process needs access to an already-mounted NFSv4.1/pNFS share; successful exploitation enables kernel heap disclosure, memory corruption, control-flow hijacking, or a host panic.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-52623
- Published
- Mar 26, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 26, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=39e5d2df959dd4aea81fa33d765d2a5cc67a0512 <31b62908693c90d4d07db597e685d9f25a120073
- Affected versionversion=39e5d2df959dd4aea81fa33d765d2a5cc67a0512 <69c7eeb4f622c2a28da965f970f982db171f3dc6
- Affected versionversion=39e5d2df959dd4aea81fa33d765d2a5cc67a0512 <7a96d85bf196c170dcf1b47a82e9bb97cca69aa6
- Affected versionversion=39e5d2df959dd4aea81fa33d765d2a5cc67a0512 <8f860c8407470baff2beb9982ad6b172c94f1d0a
- Affected versionversion=39e5d2df959dd4aea81fa33d765d2a5cc67a0512 <c430e6bb43955c6bf573665fcebf31694925b9f7
- Affected versionversion=39e5d2df959dd4aea81fa33d765d2a5cc67a0512 <e8ca3e73301e23e8c0ac0ce2e6bac4545cd776e0
- Affected versionversion=39e5d2df959dd4aea81fa33d765d2a5cc67a0512 <f8cf4dabbdcb8bef85335b0ed7ad5b25fd82ff56
- Affected versionversion=39e5d2df959dd4aea81fa33d765d2a5cc67a0512 <fece80a2a6718ed58487ce397285bb1b83a3e54e
- Affected versionversion=4.9
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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