CVE-2023-53263

Local privilege escalation via freed DRM connector

Published Sep 16, 2025 · Updated Sep 16, 2025

Use-after-free in Linux 6.0 through before 6.5 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through nouveau DRM connector setup. nouveau_connector_create frees a connector after drm_connector_init has linked it into DRM state, leaving list users to dereference freed memory instead of cleaning up the DRM object first. The path requires the nouveau driver and a connector-construction failure; subsequent list access can panic the kernel or enable kernel read, write, and control-flow primitives.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.16%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in Linux 6.0 through before 6.5 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through nouveau DRM connector setup. nouveau_connector_create frees a connector after drm_connector_init has linked it into DRM state, leaving list users to dereference freed memory instead of cleaning up the DRM object first. The path requires the nouveau driver and a connector-construction failure; subsequent list access can panic the kernel or enable kernel read, write, and control-flow primitives.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53263
Published
Sep 16, 2025
Updated
Sep 16, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 16, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 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=6.0
  2. Affected versionversion=95983aea80038539ebc70e41e73e9bb4eabd1a92 <1b254b791d7b7dea6e8adc887fbbd51746d8bb27
  3. Affected versionversion=95983aea80038539ebc70e41e73e9bb4eabd1a92 <3f27451c9f29d5ed00232968680c7838a44dcac7
  4. Affected versionversion=95983aea80038539ebc70e41e73e9bb4eabd1a92 <872feeecd08c81d212a52211d212897b8a857544

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.0; version=95983aea80038539ebc70e41e73e9bb4eabd1a92 <1b254b791d7b7dea6e8adc887fbbd51746d8bb27; version=95983aea80038539ebc70e41e73e9bb4eabd1a92 <3f27451c9f29d5ed00232968680c7838a44dcac7; version=95983aea80038539ebc70e41e73e9bb4eabd1a92 <872feeecd08c81d212a52211d212897b8a857544

Published CVSS scores

7.8CISA ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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