CVE-2023-53240

Kernel crash via premature NAPI ID access

Published Sep 15, 2025 · Updated Sep 15, 2025

NULL-pointer dereference in Linux kernel AF_XDP transmit handling allows local users to crash the kernel through sendmsg() on a down interface. __xsk_sendmsg() marks the NAPI ID before xsk_xmit() checks IFF_UP, causing access through a NULL transmit-path pointer when the interface is not up. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and a bound AF_XDP socket, and the demonstrated consequence is a kernel oops that interrupts availability.

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

NULL-pointer dereference in Linux kernel AF_XDP transmit handling allows local users to crash the kernel through sendmsg() on a down interface. __xsk_sendmsg() marks the NAPI ID before xsk_xmit() checks IFF_UP, causing access through a NULL transmit-path pointer when the interface is not up. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and a bound AF_XDP socket, and the demonstrated consequence is a kernel oops that interrupts availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53240
Published
Sep 15, 2025
Updated
Sep 15, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
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=18b1ab7aa76bde181bdb1ab19a87fa9523c32f21 <1596dae2f17ec5c6e8c8f0e3fec78c5ae55c1e0b
  2. Affected versionversion=18b1ab7aa76bde181bdb1ab19a87fa9523c32f21 <cecc68559cd57fffb2be50685f262b9af2318e16
  3. Affected versionversion=18b1ab7aa76bde181bdb1ab19a87fa9523c32f21 <ffe19750e68d0bb21e8110b398346eef20b156a7
  4. Affected versionversion=5.18
  5. Affected versionversion=8a2dea162b92c322f3e42eae0c4a74b8d20aa7a9
  6. Affected versionversion=ad7219cd8751bd258b9d1e69ae0654ec00f71875
  7. Affected versionversion=d1579253ffce39986e7a6ab757ac93b2680a665f

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=18b1ab7aa76bde181bdb1ab19a87fa9523c32f21 <1596dae2f17ec5c6e8c8f0e3fec78c5ae55c1e0b; version=18b1ab7aa76bde181bdb1ab19a87fa9523c32f21 <cecc68559cd57fffb2be50685f262b9af2318e16; version=18b1ab7aa76bde181bdb1ab19a87fa9523c32f21 <ffe19750e68d0bb21e8110b398346eef20b156a7; version=5.18; version=8a2dea162b92c322f3e42eae0c4a74b8d20aa7a9; version=ad7219cd8751bd258b9d1e69ae0654ec00f71875; version=d1579253ffce39986e7a6ab757ac93b2680a665f

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.0Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.5CISA ADPCVSS: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.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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