CVE-2023-53012

System crash via premature device reference release

Published Mar 27, 2025 · Updated May 27, 2026

Improper device lifecycle handling in Linux kernel 6.0.16 before 6.1 allows local users to crash the system through a registration error path. The thermal core calls put_device() without a preceding successful device_register() in __thermal_cooling_device_register() and tears down sysfs on unnecessary error paths. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and a cooling-device registration failure; the documented impact is limited to availability.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper device lifecycle handling in Linux kernel 6.0.16 before 6.1 allows local users to crash the system through a registration error path. The thermal core calls put_device() without a preceding successful device_register() in __thermal_cooling_device_register() and tears down sysfs on unnecessary error paths. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and a cooling-device registration failure; the documented impact is limited to availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53012
Published
Mar 27, 2025
Updated
May 27, 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 27, 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=108a6f91e2766a6d9142b1f2d90c07ac547eae7e <a7d736cc3c6cb0d7498bbfb56515d414e35e9510
  2. Affected versionversion=5139cbc0c6e4bf2fcffc9a7ed4350bf6985bc561
  3. Affected versionversion=6.0.16 <6.1
  4. Affected versionversion=80bb3b901abe6560620505e5c734d140c4f73a07 <2846a7412f6246fd5171f51011bf76dfebcec0ee
  5. Affected versionversion=c408b3d1d9bbc7de5fb0304fea424ef2539da616 <6c54b7bc8a31ce0f7cc7f8deef05067df414f1d8
  6. Affected versionversion=c4c435d3637b5d0abaa6447c7366c3674364968a
  7. Affected versionversion=e0d8b51bbe84d6a98c162e06344de2d773d9e722

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=108a6f91e2766a6d9142b1f2d90c07ac547eae7e <a7d736cc3c6cb0d7498bbfb56515d414e35e9510; version=5139cbc0c6e4bf2fcffc9a7ed4350bf6985bc561; version=6.0.16 <6.1; version=80bb3b901abe6560620505e5c734d140c4f73a07 <2846a7412f6246fd5171f51011bf76dfebcec0ee; version=c408b3d1d9bbc7de5fb0304fea424ef2539da616 <6c54b7bc8a31ce0f7cc7f8deef05067df414f1d8; version=c4c435d3637b5d0abaa6447c7366c3674364968a; version=e0d8b51bbe84d6a98c162e06344de2d773d9e722

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS: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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