CVE-2023-53116Network attack vector

Kernel memory corruption via post-completion request dereference

Published May 2, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel NVMe target allows remote attackers to corrupt kernel memory during request completion. The nvmet_req_complete function calls a transport's queue_response operation, which can free the request, and then dereferences that released object when passing its submission-queue reference to percpu_ref_put. The NVMe target must process a response through an implementation that frees the request; no concrete effect beyond kernel-memory corruption has been published.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability0.52%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel NVMe target allows remote attackers to corrupt kernel memory during request completion. The nvmet_req_complete function calls a transport's queue_response operation, which can free the request, and then dereferences that released object when passing its submission-queue reference to percpu_ref_put. The NVMe target must process a response through an implementation that frees the request; no concrete effect beyond kernel-memory corruption has been published.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53116
Published
May 2, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 2, 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

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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=4.8
  2. Affected versionversion=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <04c394208831d5e0d5cfee46722eb0f033cd4083
  3. Affected versionversion=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <6173a77b7e9d3e202bdb9897b23f2a8afe7bf286
  4. Affected versionversion=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <8ed9813871038b25a934b21ab76b5b7dbf44fc3a
  5. Affected versionversion=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <a6317235da8aa7cb97529ebc8121cc2a4c4c437a
  6. Affected versionversion=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <bcd535f07c58342302a2cd2bdd8894fe0872c8a9
  7. Affected versionversion=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <e5d99b29012bbf0e86929403209723b2806500c1
  8. Affected versionversion=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <f1d5888a5efe345b63c430b256e95acb0a475642
  9. Affected versionversion=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <fafcb4b26393870c45462f9af6a48e581dbbcf7e

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.8; version=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <04c394208831d5e0d5cfee46722eb0f033cd4083; version=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <6173a77b7e9d3e202bdb9897b23f2a8afe7bf286; version=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <8ed9813871038b25a934b21ab76b5b7dbf44fc3a; version=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <a6317235da8aa7cb97529ebc8121cc2a4c4c437a; version=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <bcd535f07c58342302a2cd2bdd8894fe0872c8a9; version=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <e5d99b29012bbf0e86929403209723b2806500c1; version=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <f1d5888a5efe345b63c430b256e95acb0a475642; version=a07b4970f464f13640e28e16dad6cfa33647cc99 <fafcb4b26393870c45462f9af6a48e581dbbcf7e

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.8Linux Kernel CNACVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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.

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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)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free

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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