CVE-2023-52974

Local kernel compromise via premature session exposure

Published Mar 27, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel iSCSI TCP initiator allows local users to read or corrupt kernel memory during session login. The driver exposes tcp_sw_host->session before iscsi_tcp_r2tpool_alloc completes, then tears down and frees the session if allocation fails while sysfs reads can still dereference it. Exploitation requires local access, concurrent reads of the host ipaddress attribute, and a failed R2T pool allocation; the race can disclose kernel memory, corrupt freed memory, or panic the kernel.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.29%
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 the Linux kernel iSCSI TCP initiator allows local users to read or corrupt kernel memory during session login. The driver exposes tcp_sw_host->session before iscsi_tcp_r2tpool_alloc completes, then tears down and frees the session if allocation fails while sysfs reads can still dereference it. Exploitation requires local access, concurrent reads of the host ipaddress attribute, and a failed R2T pool allocation; the race can disclose kernel memory, corrupt freed memory, or panic the kernel.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-52974
Published
Mar 27, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 27, 2025CVE 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=2.6.39
  2. Affected versionversion=a79af8a64d395bd89de8695a5ea5e1a7f01f02a8 <0aaabdb900c7415caa2006ef580322f7eac5f6b6
  3. Affected versionversion=a79af8a64d395bd89de8695a5ea5e1a7f01f02a8 <496af9d3682ed4c28fb734342a09e6cc0c056ea4
  4. Affected versionversion=a79af8a64d395bd89de8695a5ea5e1a7f01f02a8 <61e43ebfd243bcbad11be26bd921723027b77441
  5. Affected versionversion=a79af8a64d395bd89de8695a5ea5e1a7f01f02a8 <6abd4698f4c8a78e7bbfc421205c060c199554a0
  6. Affected versionversion=a79af8a64d395bd89de8695a5ea5e1a7f01f02a8 <9758ffe1c07b86aefd7ca8e40d9a461293427ca0
  7. Affected versionversion=a79af8a64d395bd89de8695a5ea5e1a7f01f02a8 <d4d765f4761f9e3a2d62992f825aeee593bcb6b9
  8. Affected versionversion=a79af8a64d395bd89de8695a5ea5e1a7f01f02a8 <f484a794e4ee2a9ce61f52a78e810ac45f3fe3b3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.39; version=a79af8a64d395bd89de8695a5ea5e1a7f01f02a8 <0aaabdb900c7415caa2006ef580322f7eac5f6b6; version=a79af8a64d395bd89de8695a5ea5e1a7f01f02a8 <496af9d3682ed4c28fb734342a09e6cc0c056ea4; version=a79af8a64d395bd89de8695a5ea5e1a7f01f02a8 <61e43ebfd243bcbad11be26bd921723027b77441; version=a79af8a64d395bd89de8695a5ea5e1a7f01f02a8 <6abd4698f4c8a78e7bbfc421205c060c199554a0; version=a79af8a64d395bd89de8695a5ea5e1a7f01f02a8 <9758ffe1c07b86aefd7ca8e40d9a461293427ca0; version=a79af8a64d395bd89de8695a5ea5e1a7f01f02a8 <d4d765f4761f9e3a2d62992f825aeee593bcb6b9; version=a79af8a64d395bd89de8695a5ea5e1a7f01f02a8 <f484a794e4ee2a9ce61f52a78e810ac45f3fe3b3

Published CVSS scores

7.8LinuxCVSS: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

CWE-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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