CVE-2023-52986

Local service interruption via inherited BPF protocol

Published Mar 27, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Uncontrolled recursion in affected Linux kernels allows local users to interrupt service by closing a crafted sockmap-linked TCP child. In tcp_bpf_clone, the check recognizes only TCP_BPF_BASE, so a child can retain another tcp_bpf_prots variant without the state required by its close path. Low-privileged local access and a listener already linked to a sockmap with an attached BPF program are required; closing the child can exhaust the kernel stack.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.28%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled recursion in affected Linux kernels allows local users to interrupt service by closing a crafted sockmap-linked TCP child. In tcp_bpf_clone, the check recognizes only TCP_BPF_BASE, so a child can retain another tcp_bpf_prots variant without the state required by its close path. Low-privileged local access and a listener already linked to a sockmap with an attached BPF program are required; closing the child can exhaust the kernel stack.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-52986
Published
Mar 27, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-674, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 27, 2025CVE 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=5.7
  2. Affected versionversion=e80251555f0befd1271e74b080bccf0ff0348bfc <12b0ec7c6953e1602957926439e5297095d7d065
  3. Affected versionversion=e80251555f0befd1271e74b080bccf0ff0348bfc <9bd6074e1872d22190a8da30e796cbf937d334f0
  4. Affected versionversion=e80251555f0befd1271e74b080bccf0ff0348bfc <c681d7a4ed3d360de0574f4d6b7305a8de8dc54f
  5. Affected versionversion=e80251555f0befd1271e74b080bccf0ff0348bfc <ddce1e091757d0259107c6c0c7262df201de2b66

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.7; version=e80251555f0befd1271e74b080bccf0ff0348bfc <12b0ec7c6953e1602957926439e5297095d7d065; version=e80251555f0befd1271e74b080bccf0ff0348bfc <9bd6074e1872d22190a8da30e796cbf937d334f0; version=e80251555f0befd1271e74b080bccf0ff0348bfc <c681d7a4ed3d360de0574f4d6b7305a8de8dc54f; version=e80251555f0befd1271e74b080bccf0ff0348bfc <ddce1e091757d0259107c6c0c7262df201de2b66

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5Canonical UbuntuCVSS: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

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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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-674Uncontrolled Recursion
T1499.004Application 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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