CVE-2023-53022

Kernel hang via recursive transmit-lock acquisition

Published Mar 27, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Improper locking in the Linux kernel ENETC driver allows local users to hang the system during one-step transmit timestamp processing. The enetc_tx_onestep_tstamp work item takes netif_tx_lock with softirqs enabled, allowing an interrupt-driven NET_TX softirq to acquire the same lock again and deadlock the kernel. Reachability requires the ENETC path and the interrupt timing needed to schedule NET_TX while the work item holds the transmit lock; no data exposure or modification is reported.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper locking in the Linux kernel ENETC driver allows local users to hang the system during one-step transmit timestamp processing. The enetc_tx_onestep_tstamp work item takes netif_tx_lock with softirqs enabled, allowing an interrupt-driven NET_TX softirq to acquire the same lock again and deadlock the kernel. Reachability requires the ENETC path and the interrupt timing needed to schedule NET_TX while the work item holds the transmit lock; no data exposure or modification is reported.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53022
Published
Mar 27, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-667, 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=5.13
  2. Affected versionversion=7294380c5211687aa4d66166984b152ee84caf5f <3c463721a73bdb57a913e0d3124677a3758886fc
  3. Affected versionversion=7294380c5211687aa4d66166984b152ee84caf5f <8232e5a84d25a84a5cbda0f241a00793fb6eb608
  4. Affected versionversion=7294380c5211687aa4d66166984b152ee84caf5f <e893dced1a18e77b1262f5c10169413f0ece0da7

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.13; version=7294380c5211687aa4d66166984b152ee84caf5f <3c463721a73bdb57a913e0d3124677a3758886fc; version=7294380c5211687aa4d66166984b152ee84caf5f <8232e5a84d25a84a5cbda0f241a00793fb6eb608; version=7294380c5211687aa4d66166984b152ee84caf5f <e893dced1a18e77b1262f5c10169413f0ece0da7

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5CISA-ADPCVSS: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-667Improper Locking
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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