CVE-2023-52920

Local privilege escalation via BPF verifier mis-tracking

Published Nov 5, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Out-of-bounds kernel memory access in Linux 5.3 through 6.7 allows local users to escalate privileges through a crafted BPF program. The BPF verifier fails to retain precision history for stack spills and fills through non-r10 frame-pointer copies, allowing incorrect state pruning and attacker-controlled map-pointer offsets. Reaching the flaw requires CAP_BPF and typically CAP_PERFMON; exploitation enables arbitrary kernel reads and writes, root escalation, or a kernel panic.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.25%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Out-of-bounds kernel memory access in Linux 5.3 through 6.7 allows local users to escalate privileges through a crafted BPF program. The BPF verifier fails to retain precision history for stack spills and fills through non-r10 frame-pointer copies, allowing incorrect state pruning and attacker-controlled map-pointer offsets. Reaching the flaw requires CAP_BPF and typically CAP_PERFMON; exploitation enables arbitrary kernel reads and writes, root escalation, or a kernel panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-52920
Published
Nov 5, 2024
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 5, 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=5.3
  2. Affected versionversion=b5dc0163d8fd78e64a7e21f309cf932fda34353e <199f0452873741fa4b8d4d88958e929030b2f92b
  3. Affected versionversion=b5dc0163d8fd78e64a7e21f309cf932fda34353e <41f6f64e6999a837048b1bd13a2f8742964eca6b
  4. Affected versionversion=b5dc0163d8fd78e64a7e21f309cf932fda34353e <e4da60feca4d35e1a9b03dc0affa3354f9ff45e4
  5. Affected versionversion=b5dc0163d8fd78e64a7e21f309cf932fda34353e <ecc2aeeaa08a355d84d3ca9c3d2512399a194f29

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.3; version=b5dc0163d8fd78e64a7e21f309cf932fda34353e <199f0452873741fa4b8d4d88958e929030b2f92b; version=b5dc0163d8fd78e64a7e21f309cf932fda34353e <41f6f64e6999a837048b1bd13a2f8742964eca6b; version=b5dc0163d8fd78e64a7e21f309cf932fda34353e <e4da60feca4d35e1a9b03dc0affa3354f9ff45e4; version=b5dc0163d8fd78e64a7e21f309cf932fda34353e <ecc2aeeaa08a355d84d3ca9c3d2512399a194f29

Published CVSS scores

7.8Linux kernel CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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