Kernel crash via unchecked missing netdev
Published May 17, 2024 · Updated May 23, 2026
NULL-pointer dereference in affected Linux mlx5 kernels allows local users to crash the kernel by entering switchdev mode without a netdev. esw_offloads_devlink_ns_eq_netdev_ns dereferences the missing uplink_netdev while comparing its network namespace with the devlink namespace. Triggering requires local access, permission to change mlx5 E-switch mode, and an E-switch path with no net device; the documented consequence is a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
NULL-pointer dereference in affected Linux mlx5 kernels allows local users to crash the kernel by entering switchdev mode without a netdev. esw_offloads_devlink_ns_eq_netdev_ns dereferences the missing uplink_netdev while comparing its network namespace with the devlink namespace. Triggering requires local access, permission to change mlx5 E-switch mode, and an E-switch path with no net device; the documented consequence is a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-52658
- Published
- May 17, 2024
- Updated
- May 23, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 17, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 23, 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.
- Affected versionversion=6.1.22 <6.1.162
- Affected versionversion=6.2.9 <6.3
- Affected versionversion=6.3
- Affected versionversion=662404b24a4c4d839839ed25e3097571f5938b9b <1bcdd66d33edb446903132456c948f0b764ef2f9
- Affected versionversion=662404b24a4c4d839839ed25e3097571f5938b9b <3fba8eab2cfc7334e0f132d29dfd2552f2f2a579
- Affected versionversion=662404b24a4c4d839839ed25e3097571f5938b9b <8deeefb24786ea7950b37bde4516b286c877db00
- Affected versionversion=882b988a3897062abed5f935de527797913f5876
- Affected versionversion=93260bd809e0ce44fda463ebc590376e24d8cc11 <136ccb2041a5d1a475f845d3bc138550be6f5daa
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
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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