CVE-2023-53138

Local privilege escalation via repeated unregister notifications

Published May 2, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in the CAIF USB driver in Linux allows local users to gain kernel privileges via network namespace teardown. The cfusbl_device_notify() callback processes repeated NETDEV_UNREGISTER notifications, permitting the parent net_device to be freed before a later callback dereferences it. Exploitation requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in a user namespace and CAIF support; controlled heap reuse can disclose or modify kernel memory, while the demonstrated path can panic the kernel.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.18%
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 CAIF USB driver in Linux allows local users to gain kernel privileges via network namespace teardown. The cfusbl_device_notify() callback processes repeated NETDEV_UNREGISTER notifications, permitting the parent net_device to be freed before a later callback dereferences it. Exploitation requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in a user namespace and CAIF support; controlled heap reuse can disclose or modify kernel memory, while the demonstrated path can panic the kernel.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53138
Published
May 2, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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=3.3
  2. Affected versionversion=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <1793da97a23e31c5bf06631f3f3e5a25f368fd64
  3. Affected versionversion=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <287027d8a567168a5d8ce5cb0cba16a34791a48c
  4. Affected versionversion=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <3f14457e1584224f4296af613bbd99deb60b5d91
  5. Affected versionversion=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <68a45c3cf0e2242a533657f4f535d9b6a7447a79
  6. Affected versionversion=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <9781e98a97110f5e76999058368b4be76a788484
  7. Affected versionversion=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <9dc16be373b382ddd4c274052a6e870a95e76c01
  8. Affected versionversion=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <c3aaec463a632cf4187dc017e421bfa69d7834a9
  9. Affected versionversion=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <d1a11bbdbb5ea9f172019c5a4a3e9d8eabd72179

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.3; version=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <1793da97a23e31c5bf06631f3f3e5a25f368fd64; version=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <287027d8a567168a5d8ce5cb0cba16a34791a48c; version=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <3f14457e1584224f4296af613bbd99deb60b5d91; version=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <68a45c3cf0e2242a533657f4f535d9b6a7447a79; version=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <9781e98a97110f5e76999058368b4be76a788484; version=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <9dc16be373b382ddd4c274052a6e870a95e76c01; version=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <c3aaec463a632cf4187dc017e421bfa69d7834a9; version=7ad65bf68d705b445ef10b77ab50dab22be185ee <d1a11bbdbb5ea9f172019c5a4a3e9d8eabd72179

Published CVSS scores

7.8Linux Kernel CVE TeamCVSS: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.

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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

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

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Your stack

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