CVE-2023-53008

Service interruption via leaked CIFS authentication buffers

Published Mar 27, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

A memory leak in the Linux kernel CIFS client before 6.1.9 allows local users to exhaust memory during SMB session setup. The session setup paths overwrite cifs_ses::auth_key.response with newly allocated authentication data without first freeing the prior buffer. Repeated CIFS mounts or reconnects can consume kernel memory and eventually interrupt service, but require local access able to initiate those operations.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A memory leak in the Linux kernel CIFS client before 6.1.9 allows local users to exhaust memory during SMB session setup. The session setup paths overwrite cifs_ses::auth_key.response with newly allocated authentication data without first freeing the prior buffer. Repeated CIFS mounts or reconnects can consume kernel memory and eventually interrupt service, but require local access able to initiate those operations.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53008
Published
Mar 27, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499
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=2.6.37
  2. Affected versionversion=d3686d54c7902a303bd65d751226aa1647319863 <2fe58d977ee05da5bb89ef5dc4f5bf2dc15db46f
  3. Affected versionversion=d3686d54c7902a303bd65d751226aa1647319863 <893d45394dbe4b5cbf3723c19e2ccc8b93a6ac9b

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.37; version=d3686d54c7902a303bd65d751226aa1647319863 <2fe58d977ee05da5bb89ef5dc4f5bf2dc15db46f; version=d3686d54c7902a303bd65d751226aa1647319863 <893d45394dbe4b5cbf3723c19e2ccc8b93a6ac9b

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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