CVE-2023-53259

Kernel crash via unchecked null notify page

Published Sep 15, 2025 · Updated Sep 15, 2025

Out-of-bounds read in the Linux VMCI host driver allows local users to crash the kernel through a crafted ioctl request. The driver stores the result of get_user_pages_fast() in context->notify_page, then dereferences that pointer without rejecting NULL. Access to the VMCI host ioctl path and low local privileges are required; the demonstrated consequence is a general protection fault that crashes the kernel.

CVSS severity7.1
High
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

Out-of-bounds read in the Linux VMCI host driver allows local users to crash the kernel through a crafted ioctl request. The driver stores the result of get_user_pages_fast() in context->notify_page, then dereferences that pointer without rejecting NULL. Access to the VMCI host ioctl path and low local privileges are required; the demonstrated consequence is a general protection fault that crashes the kernel.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53259
Published
Sep 15, 2025
Updated
Sep 15, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-125, 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

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=4.0
  2. Affected versionversion=a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc <055891397f530f9b1b22be38d7eca8b08382941f
  3. Affected versionversion=a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc <1a726cb47fd204109c767409fa9ca15a96328f14
  4. Affected versionversion=a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc <91b8e4f61f8f4594ee65368c8d89e6fdc29d3fb1
  5. Affected versionversion=a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc <a3c89e8c69a58f62451c0a75b77fcab25979b897
  6. Affected versionversion=a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc <b4239bfb260d1e6837766c41a0b241d7670f1402
  7. Affected versionversion=a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc <d4198f67e7556b1507f14f60d81a72660e5560e4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.0; version=a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc <055891397f530f9b1b22be38d7eca8b08382941f; version=a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc <1a726cb47fd204109c767409fa9ca15a96328f14; version=a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc <91b8e4f61f8f4594ee65368c8d89e6fdc29d3fb1; version=a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc <a3c89e8c69a58f62451c0a75b77fcab25979b897; version=a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc <b4239bfb260d1e6837766c41a0b241d7670f1402; version=a1d88436d53a75e950db15834b3d2f8c0c358fdc <d4198f67e7556b1507f14f60d81a72660e5560e4

Published CVSS scores

7.1NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
5.5Amazon LinuxCVSS: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-125Out-of-bounds Read
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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