CVE-2023-52879Public exploit

Kernel crash via dangling trace_event_file reference

Published May 21, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in Linux kernel tracing allows local users to crash the kernel through crafted tracefs kprobe event operations. Deleting an event frees its trace_event_file while an open enable file retains a reference, so a later write or close dereferences freed memory. Local access and permission to modify tracefs kprobe events are required; closing the retained descriptor can trigger a kernel oops.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.23%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in Linux kernel tracing allows local users to crash the kernel through crafted tracefs kprobe event operations. Deleting an event frees its trace_event_file while an open enable file retains a reference, so a later write or close dereferences freed memory. Local access and permission to modify tracefs kprobe events are required; closing the retained descriptor can trigger a kernel oops.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-52879
Published
May 21, 2024
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 21, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=407bf1c140f0757706c0b28604bcc90837d45ce2 <a98172e36e5f1b3d29ad71fade2d611cfcc2fe6f
  2. Affected versionversion=5.10.198 <5.10.202
  3. Affected versionversion=5.15.134 <5.15.140
  4. Affected versionversion=5.4.258 <5.4.262
  5. Affected versionversion=6.1.55 <6.1.64
  6. Affected versionversion=6.5.5 <6.5.13
  7. Affected versionversion=6.6
  8. Affected versionversion=9beec04370132a7a6cd1aa9897f6fffc6262ff28 <2c9de867ca285c397cd71af703763fe416265706
  9. Affected versionversion=a46bf337a20f9edd3c8041b025639842280d0575 <2fa74d29fc1899c237d51bf9a6e132ea5c488976
  10. Affected versionversion=e6807c873d8791ae5a5186ad05ec66cab926539a <961c4511c7578d6b8f39118be919016ec3db1c1e
  11. Affected versionversion=f5ca233e2e66dc1c249bf07eefa37e34a6c9346a <9034c87d61be8cff989017740a91701ac8195a1d
  12. Affected versionversion=f5ca233e2e66dc1c249bf07eefa37e34a6c9346a <bb32500fb9b78215e4ef6ee8b4345c5f5d7eafb4
  13. Affected versionversion=fa6d449e4d024d8c17f4288e0567d28ace69415c <cbc7c29dff0fa18162f2a3889d82eeefd67305e0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=407bf1c140f0757706c0b28604bcc90837d45ce2 <a98172e36e5f1b3d29ad71fade2d611cfcc2fe6f; version=5.10.198 <5.10.202; version=5.15.134 <5.15.140; version=5.4.258 <5.4.262; version=6.1.55 <6.1.64; version=6.5.5 <6.5.13; version=6.6; version=9beec04370132a7a6cd1aa9897f6fffc6262ff28 <2c9de867ca285c397cd71af703763fe416265706; version=a46bf337a20f9edd3c8041b025639842280d0575 <2fa74d29fc1899c237d51bf9a6e132ea5c488976; version=e6807c873d8791ae5a5186ad05ec66cab926539a <961c4511c7578d6b8f39118be919016ec3db1c1e; version=f5ca233e2e66dc1c249bf07eefa37e34a6c9346a <9034c87d61be8cff989017740a91701ac8195a1d; version=f5ca233e2e66dc1c249bf07eefa37e34a6c9346a <bb32500fb9b78215e4ef6ee8b4345c5f5d7eafb4; version=fa6d449e4d024d8c17f4288e0567d28ace69415c <cbc7c29dff0fa18162f2a3889d82eeefd67305e0

Published CVSS scores

5.5NISTCVSS: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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

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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