CVE-2023-53146

Kernel crash via zero-length I2C message

Published May 14, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in affected Linux kernel versions starting at 2.6.27 allows local users to crash the system via an I2C message. The dw2102_i2c_transfer function accepts a user-controlled message with a null buffer when its length is zero, then reads msg[i].buf[0] without validating that a byte exists. Triggering the path requires local access to a system using the dw2102 driver with supported DVB USB hardware; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
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

NULL pointer dereference in affected Linux kernel versions starting at 2.6.27 allows local users to crash the system via an I2C message. The dw2102_i2c_transfer function accepts a user-controlled message with a null buffer when its length is zero, then reads msg[i].buf[0] without validating that a byte exists. Triggering the path requires local access to a system using the dw2102 driver with supported DVB USB hardware; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53146
Published
May 14, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 14, 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=2.6.27
  2. Affected versionversion=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <08dfcbd03b2b7f918c4f87c6ff637054e510df74
  3. Affected versionversion=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <5ae544d94abc8ff77b1b9bf8774def3fa5689b5b
  4. Affected versionversion=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <77cbd42d29de9ffc93d5529bab8813cde53af14c
  5. Affected versionversion=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <903566208ae6bb9c0e7e54355ce75bf6cf72485d
  6. Affected versionversion=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <97fdbdb750342cbc204befde976872fedb406ee6
  7. Affected versionversion=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <beb9550494e7349f92b9eaa283256a5ad9b1c9be
  8. Affected versionversion=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <ecbe6d011b95c7da59f014f8d26cb7245ed1e11e
  9. Affected versionversion=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <fb28afab113a82b89ffec48c8155ec05b4f8cb5e

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.27; version=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <08dfcbd03b2b7f918c4f87c6ff637054e510df74; version=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <5ae544d94abc8ff77b1b9bf8774def3fa5689b5b; version=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <77cbd42d29de9ffc93d5529bab8813cde53af14c; version=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <903566208ae6bb9c0e7e54355ce75bf6cf72485d; version=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <97fdbdb750342cbc204befde976872fedb406ee6; version=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <beb9550494e7349f92b9eaa283256a5ad9b1c9be; version=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <ecbe6d011b95c7da59f014f8d26cb7245ed1e11e; version=7fd4828f6cc5bd4339ff58e372ccb5f528548b30 <fb28afab113a82b89ffec48c8155ec05b4f8cb5e

Published CVSS scores

5.5Canonical UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application 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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