CVE-2023-53338Network attack vector

Kernel crash via misclassified BPF xmit returns

Published Sep 17, 2025 · Updated Sep 17, 2025

Use-after-free in affected Linux kernel releases starting with 4.10 allows remote attackers to compromise or crash LWT BPF hosts via crafted traffic. The xmit hook treats positive statuses from skb_do_redirect and bpf_lwt_xmit_reroute as LWTUNNEL_XMIT_CONTINUE, passing a freed skb into neighbor processing. Reachability requires a configured LWT BPF xmit route; traffic traversing that route can trigger kernel memory disclosure, corruption, or panic without credentials.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability0.54%
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 affected Linux kernel releases starting with 4.10 allows remote attackers to compromise or crash LWT BPF hosts via crafted traffic. The xmit hook treats positive statuses from skb_do_redirect and bpf_lwt_xmit_reroute as LWTUNNEL_XMIT_CONTINUE, passing a freed skb into neighbor processing. Reachability requires a configured LWT BPF xmit route; traffic traversing that route can trigger kernel memory disclosure, corruption, or panic without credentials.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53338
Published
Sep 17, 2025
Updated
Sep 17, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 17, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 17, 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=3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 <065d5f17096ec9161180e2c890afdff4dc6125f2
  2. Affected versionversion=3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 <29b22badb7a84b783e3a4fffca16f7768fb31205
  3. Affected versionversion=3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 <65583f9e070db7bece20710cfa2e3daeb0b831d9
  4. Affected versionversion=3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 <67f8f2bae8e7ac72e09def2b667e44704c4d1ee1
  5. Affected versionversion=3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 <a97f221651fcdc891166e9bc270e3d9bfa5a0080
  6. Affected versionversion=3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 <d68c17402442f5f494a2c3ebde5cb82f6aa9160a
  7. Affected versionversion=3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 <e3f647e4b642f9f6d32795a16f92c116c138d2af
  8. Affected versionversion=4.10

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 <065d5f17096ec9161180e2c890afdff4dc6125f2; version=3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 <29b22badb7a84b783e3a4fffca16f7768fb31205; version=3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 <65583f9e070db7bece20710cfa2e3daeb0b831d9; version=3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 <67f8f2bae8e7ac72e09def2b667e44704c4d1ee1; version=3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 <a97f221651fcdc891166e9bc270e3d9bfa5a0080; version=3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 <d68c17402442f5f494a2c3ebde5cb82f6aa9160a; version=3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 <e3f647e4b642f9f6d32795a16f92c116c138d2af; version=4.10

Published CVSS scores

7.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.8Linux Kernel CVE TeamCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NIST NVDCVSS: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.

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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)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
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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