CVE-2023-53178Public exploit

Local memory disclosure and corruption via stale writeback

Published Sep 15, 2025 · Updated Sep 15, 2025

Race condition in Linux kernel zswap allows local users to disclose or corrupt swapped memory during writeback under memory pressure. The zswap shrink worker retains a stale entry after its swap offset is invalidated and reused, then writes the old page into the recycled slot. Reachability requires enabled zswap writeback, backing swap, and sustained local memory pressure; a successful race exposes or replaces another process's swapped page and can crash applications.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.12%
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

Race condition in Linux kernel zswap allows local users to disclose or corrupt swapped memory during writeback under memory pressure. The zswap shrink worker retains a stale entry after its swap offset is invalidated and reused, then writes the old page into the recycled slot. Reachability requires enabled zswap writeback, backing swap, and sustained local memory pressure; a successful race exposes or replaces another process's swapped page and can crash applications.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53178
Published
Sep 15, 2025
Updated
Sep 15, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 15, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 15, 2025Record 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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <04fc7816089c5a32c29a04ec94b998e219dfb946
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2cab13f500a6333bd2b853783ac76be9e4956f8a
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ba700ea13bf0105a4773c654f7d3bef8adb64ab2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <04fc7816089c5a32c29a04ec94b998e219dfb946; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2cab13f500a6333bd2b853783ac76be9e4956f8a; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ba700ea13bf0105a4773c654f7d3bef8adb64ab2

Published CVSS scores

5.5SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.7CanonicalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.8Linux kernel CVE teamCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.7National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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.

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

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

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