CVE-2023-53200

Service interruption via x_tables per-CPU counter leak

Published Sep 15, 2025 · Updated Sep 15, 2025

Memory leak in Linux kernel x_tables allows local users to interrupt service by leaking kernel memory while creating a network namespace. The ip6t_register_table error path leaves the per-CPU counter block allocated when translate_table succeeds but xt_register_table returns ENOMEM because xt_percpu_counter_free is not called. Reaching the leak requires permission to create a new network namespace and the rare condition in which the later table-registration allocation fails.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leak in Linux kernel x_tables allows local users to interrupt service by leaking kernel memory while creating a network namespace. The ip6t_register_table error path leaves the per-CPU counter block allocated when translate_table succeeds but xt_register_table returns ENOMEM because xt_percpu_counter_free is not called. Reaching the leak requires permission to create a new network namespace and the rare condition in which the later table-registration allocation fails.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53200
Published
Sep 15, 2025
Updated
Sep 15, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401, 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

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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=4.2
  2. Affected versionversion=71ae0dff02d756e4d2ca710b79f2ff5390029a5f <0af8c09c896810879387decfba8c942994bb61f5
  3. Affected versionversion=71ae0dff02d756e4d2ca710b79f2ff5390029a5f <3cc9610a87b7dde82f7360dd4eb6c2c27940ed57
  4. Affected versionversion=71ae0dff02d756e4d2ca710b79f2ff5390029a5f <512b6c4b83c91d007301ea7d7f095d16c3aceacd
  5. Affected versionversion=71ae0dff02d756e4d2ca710b79f2ff5390029a5f <e306dbee4c98025a9326386023a12ef4d887e9d1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.2; version=71ae0dff02d756e4d2ca710b79f2ff5390029a5f <0af8c09c896810879387decfba8c942994bb61f5; version=71ae0dff02d756e4d2ca710b79f2ff5390029a5f <3cc9610a87b7dde82f7360dd4eb6c2c27940ed57; version=71ae0dff02d756e4d2ca710b79f2ff5390029a5f <512b6c4b83c91d007301ea7d7f095d16c3aceacd; version=71ae0dff02d756e4d2ca710b79f2ff5390029a5f <e306dbee4c98025a9326386023a12ef4d887e9d1

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS: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 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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
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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