CVE-2023-53256

Logical-partition registration failure via duplicate device names

Published Sep 15, 2025 · Updated Sep 15, 2025

Improper device naming in Linux kernel ARM FF-A support allows local users to block logical-partition service registration. ffa_device_register() builds each device name from the physical partition's VM ID alone, so a second UUID-backed service collides in sysfs and device_register() returns EEXIST. The condition requires an ARM FF-A partition exposing multiple services under one VM ID; the public record does not establish how local users control that partition data, and the bounded result is failure to register additional services.

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

Improper device naming in Linux kernel ARM FF-A support allows local users to block logical-partition service registration. ffa_device_register() builds each device name from the physical partition's VM ID alone, so a second UUID-backed service collides in sysfs and device_register() returns EEXIST. The condition requires an ARM FF-A partition exposing multiple services under one VM ID; the public record does not establish how local users control that partition data, and the bounded result is failure to register additional services.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53256
Published
Sep 15, 2025
Updated
Sep 15, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
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=5.14
  2. Affected versionversion=e781858488b918e30a6ff28e9eab6058b787e3b3 <19b8766459c41c6f318f8a548cc1c66dffd18363
  3. Affected versionversion=e781858488b918e30a6ff28e9eab6058b787e3b3 <93d0cbe88118fcef234d3ebcbdadcb9ebe9d34f1
  4. Affected versionversion=e781858488b918e30a6ff28e9eab6058b787e3b3 <c2f65991097a62efbdb2bed3c06fc86b08c9593b
  5. Affected versionversion=e781858488b918e30a6ff28e9eab6058b787e3b3 <dfc5aaa57f52a5800c339369d235fa30fb734feb

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.14; version=e781858488b918e30a6ff28e9eab6058b787e3b3 <19b8766459c41c6f318f8a548cc1c66dffd18363; version=e781858488b918e30a6ff28e9eab6058b787e3b3 <93d0cbe88118fcef234d3ebcbdadcb9ebe9d34f1; version=e781858488b918e30a6ff28e9eab6058b787e3b3 <c2f65991097a62efbdb2bed3c06fc86b08c9593b; version=e781858488b918e30a6ff28e9eab6058b787e3b3 <dfc5aaa57f52a5800c339369d235fa30fb734feb

Published CVSS scores

5.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
5.5Canonical UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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

No sourced classifications are available.

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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