Local kernel compromise via padata use-after-free
Published May 21, 2024 · Updated May 23, 2026
Use-after-free in the padata subsystem in Linux allows local users to compromise kernel confidentiality, integrity, and availability via a refcount race. padata_free_shell can release the parallel-data structure after the serial callback, while padata_serial_worker later dereferences its refcnt after a delayed local_bh_enable. Reaching the race requires a padata caller such as pcrypt_aead01, accumulated softirqs, and high load in the documented arm64 environment.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the padata subsystem in Linux allows local users to compromise kernel confidentiality, integrity, and availability via a refcount race. padata_free_shell can release the parallel-data structure after the serial callback, while padata_serial_worker later dereferences its refcnt after a delayed local_bh_enable. Reaching the race requires a padata caller such as pcrypt_aead01, accumulated softirqs, and high load in the documented arm64 environment.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-52854
- Published
- May 21, 2024
- Updated
- May 23, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 21, 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
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=07928d9bfc81640bab36f5190e8725894d93b659 <0dd34a7ad395dbcf6ae60e48e9786050e25b9bc5
- Affected versionversion=07928d9bfc81640bab36f5190e8725894d93b659 <1734a79e951914f1db2c65e635012a35db1c674b
- Affected versionversion=07928d9bfc81640bab36f5190e8725894d93b659 <1e901bcb8af19416b65f5063a4af7996e5a51d7f
- Affected versionversion=07928d9bfc81640bab36f5190e8725894d93b659 <41aad9d6953984d134fc50f631f24ef476875d4d
- Affected versionversion=07928d9bfc81640bab36f5190e8725894d93b659 <7ddc21e317b360c3444de3023bcc83b85fabae2f
- Affected versionversion=07928d9bfc81640bab36f5190e8725894d93b659 <c7c26d0ef5d20f00dbb2ae3befcabbe0efa77275
- Affected versionversion=13721e447acc2b82c19cf72e9e6c4291c77693ed
- Affected versionversion=26daf8e6515c2dcd25d235468420b9f46e0acdac
- Affected versionversion=3.16.84 <3.17
- Affected versionversion=4.14.172 <4.15
- Affected versionversion=4.19.103 <4.20
- Affected versionversion=4.4.215 <4.5
- Affected versionversion=4.9.215 <4.10
- Affected versionversion=5.4.19 <5.5
- Affected versionversion=5.5.3 <5.6
- Affected versionversion=5.6
- Affected versionversion=5fefc9b3e3584a1ce98da27c38e1b8dda1939d74
- Affected versionversion=7a2ccb65f90168edc2348495bb56093c466ffa39
- Affected versionversion=928cf3d733c4efc221e1a78b14cb2ee066627260
- Affected versionversion=c9da8ee1491719001a444f4af688b75e72b58418
- Affected versionversion=dc34710a7aba5207e7cb99d11588c04535b3c53d
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
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