CVE-2023-52997

Kernel memory disclosure via speculative metrics indexing

Published Mar 27, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Spectre-v1 behavior in the Linux kernel allows local users to indirectly disclose kernel memory through crafted IPv4 route metrics. In ip_metrics_convert(), the CPU can speculatively bypass the RTAX_MAX bounds check and use type minus one to index the metrics array. The published assessment requires local low-privileged access; the documented consequence is an indirect leak risk rather than a direct read primitive.

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

Spectre-v1 behavior in the Linux kernel allows local users to indirectly disclose kernel memory through crafted IPv4 route metrics. In ip_metrics_convert(), the CPU can speculatively bypass the RTAX_MAX bounds check and use type minus one to index the metrics array. The published assessment requires local low-privileged access; the documented consequence is an indirect leak risk rather than a direct read primitive.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-52997
Published
Mar 27, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.3
  2. Affected versionversion=6cf9dfd3bd62edfff69f11c0f111bc261166e4c7 <1d1d63b612801b3f0a39b7d4467cad0abd60e5c8
  3. Affected versionversion=6cf9dfd3bd62edfff69f11c0f111bc261166e4c7 <34c6142f0df9cd75cba5a7aa9df0960d2854b415
  4. Affected versionversion=6cf9dfd3bd62edfff69f11c0f111bc261166e4c7 <6850fe301d015a7d2012d1de8caf43dafb7cc2f6
  5. Affected versionversion=6cf9dfd3bd62edfff69f11c0f111bc261166e4c7 <746db9ec1e672eee13965625ddac0d97e16fa20c
  6. Affected versionversion=6cf9dfd3bd62edfff69f11c0f111bc261166e4c7 <d50e7348b44f1e046121ff5be01b7fb6978a1149
  7. Affected versionversion=6cf9dfd3bd62edfff69f11c0f111bc261166e4c7 <ef050cf5fb70d995a0d03244e25179b7c66a924a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.3; version=6cf9dfd3bd62edfff69f11c0f111bc261166e4c7 <1d1d63b612801b3f0a39b7d4467cad0abd60e5c8; version=6cf9dfd3bd62edfff69f11c0f111bc261166e4c7 <34c6142f0df9cd75cba5a7aa9df0960d2854b415; version=6cf9dfd3bd62edfff69f11c0f111bc261166e4c7 <6850fe301d015a7d2012d1de8caf43dafb7cc2f6; version=6cf9dfd3bd62edfff69f11c0f111bc261166e4c7 <746db9ec1e672eee13965625ddac0d97e16fa20c; version=6cf9dfd3bd62edfff69f11c0f111bc261166e4c7 <d50e7348b44f1e046121ff5be01b7fb6978a1149; version=6cf9dfd3bd62edfff69f11c0f111bc261166e4c7 <ef050cf5fb70d995a0d03244e25179b7c66a924a

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS: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

No sourced classifications are available.

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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