CVE-2023-52782

Local system crash via mlx5e metadata race

Published May 21, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel 6.6 through 6.6.2 allows local users to crash the system through mlx5e PTP transmit handling. The mlx5e transmit path adds a metadata index to its undelivered-CQE tracking list before storing the associated socket buffer in the metadata map, so concurrent polling can dereference a missing entry. Reachability requires the mlx5e driver and PTP transmit processing; the documented consequence is a kernel protection fault and service interruption, not data disclosure or modification.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.24%
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 6.6 through 6.6.2 allows local users to crash the system through mlx5e PTP transmit handling. The mlx5e transmit path adds a metadata index to its undelivered-CQE tracking list before storing the associated socket buffer in the metadata map, so concurrent polling can dereference a missing entry. Reachability requires the mlx5e driver and PTP transmit processing; the documented consequence is a kernel protection fault and service interruption, not data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-52782
Published
May 21, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 21, 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=3178308ad4ca38955cad684d235153d4939f1fcd <4d510506b46504664eacf8a44a9e8f3e54c137b8
  2. Affected versionversion=3178308ad4ca38955cad684d235153d4939f1fcd <7e3f3ba97e6cc6fce5bf62df2ca06c8e59040167
  3. Affected versionversion=6.6
  4. Affected versionversion=e729382c297e2c492ff2a260aa1f23183eadae2e <a9d6c0c5a6bd9ca88e964f8843ea41bc085de866

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3178308ad4ca38955cad684d235153d4939f1fcd <4d510506b46504664eacf8a44a9e8f3e54c137b8; version=3178308ad4ca38955cad684d235153d4939f1fcd <7e3f3ba97e6cc6fce5bf62df2ca06c8e59040167; version=6.6; version=e729382c297e2c492ff2a260aa1f23183eadae2e <a9d6c0c5a6bd9ca88e964f8843ea41bc085de866

Published CVSS scores

5.9SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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.

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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

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

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

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Your stack

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