CVE-2023-52918

Local kernel crash via unchecked NULL pointer

Published Oct 22, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux cx23885 PCI media driver allows local users to crash the kernel during video-device initialization. The driver uses the pointer returned by cx23885_vdev_init() on the next line without checking for NULL instead of unwinding initialization. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and the failing cx23885 initialization path; the resulting dereference interrupts service.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.21%
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 the Linux cx23885 PCI media driver allows local users to crash the kernel during video-device initialization. The driver uses the pointer returned by cx23885_vdev_init() on the next line without checking for NULL instead of unwinding initialization. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and the failing cx23885 initialization path; the resulting dereference interrupts service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-52918
Published
Oct 22, 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. Oct 22, 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=2.6.25
  2. Affected versionversion=e47f30b140333525ea682ec672641b470da1e599 <06ee04a907d64ee3910fecedd05d7f1be4b1b70e
  3. Affected versionversion=e47f30b140333525ea682ec672641b470da1e599 <15126b916e39b0cb67026b0af3c014bfeb1f76b3
  4. Affected versionversion=e47f30b140333525ea682ec672641b470da1e599 <199a42fc4c45e8b7f19efeb15dbc36889a599ac2
  5. Affected versionversion=e47f30b140333525ea682ec672641b470da1e599 <8e31b096e2e1949bc8f0be019c9ae70d414404c6
  6. Affected versionversion=e47f30b140333525ea682ec672641b470da1e599 <a5f1d30c51c485cec7a7de60205667c3ff86c303
  7. Affected versionversion=e47f30b140333525ea682ec672641b470da1e599 <b1397fb4a779fca560c43d2acf6702d41b4a495b
  8. Affected versionversion=e47f30b140333525ea682ec672641b470da1e599 <e7385510e2550a9f8b6f3d5f33c5b894ab9ba976

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.25; version=e47f30b140333525ea682ec672641b470da1e599 <06ee04a907d64ee3910fecedd05d7f1be4b1b70e; version=e47f30b140333525ea682ec672641b470da1e599 <15126b916e39b0cb67026b0af3c014bfeb1f76b3; version=e47f30b140333525ea682ec672641b470da1e599 <199a42fc4c45e8b7f19efeb15dbc36889a599ac2; version=e47f30b140333525ea682ec672641b470da1e599 <8e31b096e2e1949bc8f0be019c9ae70d414404c6; version=e47f30b140333525ea682ec672641b470da1e599 <a5f1d30c51c485cec7a7de60205667c3ff86c303; version=e47f30b140333525ea682ec672641b470da1e599 <b1397fb4a779fca560c43d2acf6702d41b4a495b; version=e47f30b140333525ea682ec672641b470da1e599 <e7385510e2550a9f8b6f3d5f33c5b894ab9ba976

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application 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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