CVE-2023-53244

Kernel crash via unchecked DMA allocation failure

Published Sep 15, 2025 · Updated Sep 15, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux tw68 PCI media driver allows local users to crash the kernel through video-buffer operations. tw68_risc_buffer() leaves buf->cpu empty when dma_alloc_coherent() fails, and later prepare or finish paths access or free that null pointer. Reachability requires the Techwell tw68x Video4Linux driver and compatible PCI capture hardware; the documented impact is a local service interrupt.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.14%
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 the Linux tw68 PCI media driver allows local users to crash the kernel through video-buffer operations. tw68_risc_buffer() leaves buf->cpu empty when dma_alloc_coherent() fails, and later prepare or finish paths access or free that null pointer. Reachability requires the Techwell tw68x Video4Linux driver and compatible PCI capture hardware; the documented impact is a local service interrupt.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53244
Published
Sep 15, 2025
Updated
Sep 15, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476
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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1634b7adcc5bef645b3666fdd564e5952a9e24e0
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <3715c5e9a8f96b6ed0dcbea06da443efccac1ecc
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <3c67f49a6643d973e83968ea35806c7b5ae68b56
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <dcf632bca424e6ff8c8eb89c96694e7f05cd29b6

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1634b7adcc5bef645b3666fdd564e5952a9e24e0; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <3715c5e9a8f96b6ed0dcbea06da443efccac1ecc; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <3c67f49a6643d973e83968ea35806c7b5ae68b56; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <dcf632bca424e6ff8c8eb89c96694e7f05cd29b6

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 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-476NULL Pointer Dereference

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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