CVE-2023-53055

Local denial of service via premature keyring destruction

Published May 2, 2025 · Updated May 23, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel fscrypt allows local users to crash the system when Landlock is used on encrypted files. The superblock shutdown path calls fscrypt_destroy_keyring() before security_sb_delete(), destroying the keyring while Landlock can still retain encrypted-file inodes. Reaching the fault requires an affected kernel, enabled Landlock, encrypted files, and teardown of the associated filesystem; the resulting kernel fault interrupts the host.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel fscrypt allows local users to crash the system when Landlock is used on encrypted files. The superblock shutdown path calls fscrypt_destroy_keyring() before security_sb_delete(), destroying the keyring while Landlock can still retain encrypted-file inodes. Reaching the fault requires an affected kernel, enabled Landlock, encrypted files, and teardown of the associated filesystem; the resulting kernel fault interrupts the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53055
Published
May 2, 2025
Updated
May 23, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 2, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 23, 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=391cceee6d435e616f68631e68f5b32d480b1e67
  2. Affected versionversion=5.10.154 <5.11
  3. Affected versionversion=5.15.78 <5.15.105
  4. Affected versionversion=6.0.8 <6.1
  5. Affected versionversion=6.1
  6. Affected versionversion=68d15d6558a386f46d815a6ac39edecad713a1bf
  7. Affected versionversion=d7e7b9af104c7b389a0c21eb26532511bce4b510 <497ab5d9c7852dfedab2c9de75e41b60e54b7c5d
  8. Affected versionversion=d7e7b9af104c7b389a0c21eb26532511bce4b510 <ccb820dc7d2236b1af0d54ae038a27b5b6d5ae5a
  9. Affected versionversion=d7e7b9af104c7b389a0c21eb26532511bce4b510 <d77531fac6a1fd9f1db0195438ba5419d72b96c4
  10. Affected versionversion=e6f4fd85ef1ee6ab356bfbd64df28c1cb73aee7e <992a3f3e8a0c92151dfdf65fc85567c865fd558a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=391cceee6d435e616f68631e68f5b32d480b1e67; version=5.10.154 <5.11; version=5.15.78 <5.15.105; version=6.0.8 <6.1; version=6.1; version=68d15d6558a386f46d815a6ac39edecad713a1bf; version=d7e7b9af104c7b389a0c21eb26532511bce4b510 <497ab5d9c7852dfedab2c9de75e41b60e54b7c5d; version=d7e7b9af104c7b389a0c21eb26532511bce4b510 <ccb820dc7d2236b1af0d54ae038a27b5b6d5ae5a; version=d7e7b9af104c7b389a0c21eb26532511bce4b510 <d77531fac6a1fd9f1db0195438ba5419d72b96c4; version=e6f4fd85ef1ee6ab356bfbd64df28c1cb73aee7e <992a3f3e8a0c92151dfdf65fc85567c865fd558a

Published CVSS scores

5.5CanonicalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.0Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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

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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-476NULL Pointer Dereference
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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