CVE-2023-53033

Local privilege escalation via VLAN length miscalculation

Published Mar 27, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Out-of-bounds write in Linux kernel nft_payload processing allows local users to gain root privileges via crafted nftables rules. When a double-tagged packet crosses the Ethernet and VLAN scratchpad boundary, nft_payload adds rather than subtracts the VLAN header size and copies too many bytes into the stack buffer. Reaching the path requires CAP_NET_ADMIN to install rules, available through user and network namespaces; corruption can disclose kernel addresses, enable arbitrary kernel writes, or panic the host.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Out-of-bounds write in Linux kernel nft_payload processing allows local users to gain root privileges via crafted nftables rules. When a double-tagged packet crosses the Ethernet and VLAN scratchpad boundary, nft_payload adds rather than subtracts the VLAN header size and copies too many bytes into the stack buffer. Reaching the path requires CAP_NET_ADMIN to install rules, available through user and network namespaces; corruption can disclose kernel addresses, enable arbitrary kernel writes, or panic the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53033
Published
Mar 27, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 27, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 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=5.5
  2. Affected versionversion=f6ae9f120dada00abfb47313364c35118469455f <550efeff989b041f3746118c0ddd863c39ddc1aa
  3. Affected versionversion=f6ae9f120dada00abfb47313364c35118469455f <696e1a48b1a1b01edad542a1ef293665864a4dd0
  4. Affected versionversion=f6ae9f120dada00abfb47313364c35118469455f <76ef74d4a379faa451003621a84e3498044e7aa3
  5. Affected versionversion=f6ae9f120dada00abfb47313364c35118469455f <a8acfe2c6fb99f9375a9325807a179cd8c32e6e3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.5; version=f6ae9f120dada00abfb47313364c35118469455f <550efeff989b041f3746118c0ddd863c39ddc1aa; version=f6ae9f120dada00abfb47313364c35118469455f <696e1a48b1a1b01edad542a1ef293665864a4dd0; version=f6ae9f120dada00abfb47313364c35118469455f <76ef74d4a379faa451003621a84e3498044e7aa3; version=f6ae9f120dada00abfb47313364c35118469455f <a8acfe2c6fb99f9375a9325807a179cd8c32e6e3

Published CVSS scores

7.8Linux CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo