CVE-2023-52992

Kernel panic via BPF self-signaling from init

Published Mar 27, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Denial of service in affected Linux kernel versions allows local users to trigger a kernel panic through a BPF signal program. bpf_send_signal_common() fails to reject a fatal signal when the global init task is current, allowing the signal path to terminate PID 1 and invoke the kernel panic path. The trigger requires low-privileged local access and BPF execution while PID 1 is current; successful exploitation halts the host.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.26%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in affected Linux kernel versions allows local users to trigger a kernel panic through a BPF signal program. bpf_send_signal_common() fails to reject a fatal signal when the global init task is current, allowing the signal path to terminate PID 1 and invoke the kernel panic path. The trigger requires low-privileged local access and BPF execution while PID 1 is current; successful exploitation halts the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-52992
Published
Mar 27, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
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=5.3
  2. Affected versionversion=8b401f9ed2441ad9e219953927a842d24ed051fc <0dfef503133565fa0bcf3268d8eeb5b181191a65
  3. Affected versionversion=8b401f9ed2441ad9e219953927a842d24ed051fc <1283a01b6e19d05f7ed49584ea653947245cd41e
  4. Affected versionversion=8b401f9ed2441ad9e219953927a842d24ed051fc <4923160393b06a34759a11b17930d71e06f396f2
  5. Affected versionversion=8b401f9ed2441ad9e219953927a842d24ed051fc <a1c0263f1eb4deee132e11e52ee6982435460d81
  6. Affected versionversion=8b401f9ed2441ad9e219953927a842d24ed051fc <a3d81bc1eaef48e34dd0b9b48eefed9e02a06451

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.3; version=8b401f9ed2441ad9e219953927a842d24ed051fc <0dfef503133565fa0bcf3268d8eeb5b181191a65; version=8b401f9ed2441ad9e219953927a842d24ed051fc <1283a01b6e19d05f7ed49584ea653947245cd41e; version=8b401f9ed2441ad9e219953927a842d24ed051fc <4923160393b06a34759a11b17930d71e06f396f2; version=8b401f9ed2441ad9e219953927a842d24ed051fc <a1c0263f1eb4deee132e11e52ee6982435460d81; version=8b401f9ed2441ad9e219953927a842d24ed051fc <a3d81bc1eaef48e34dd0b9b48eefed9e02a06451

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS: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

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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