CVE-2023-53354

Kernel panic via stale skbuff fragment metadata

Published Sep 17, 2025 · Updated Sep 17, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in Linux skb_segment allows local users to crash the kernel through zero-copy packet segmentation. skb_orphan_frags() can change the fragment array and count after skb_segment() caches them, leaving stale nrfrags and frag values that advance through a NULL list_skb pointer. Reachability requires a local zero-copy transmit path such as vhost_net, and the demonstrated consequence is a kernel panic.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.20%
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 Linux skb_segment allows local users to crash the kernel through zero-copy packet segmentation. skb_orphan_frags() can change the fragment array and count after skb_segment() caches them, leaving stale nrfrags and frag values that advance through a NULL list_skb pointer. Reachability requires a local zero-copy transmit path such as vhost_net, and the demonstrated consequence is a kernel panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53354
Published
Sep 17, 2025
Updated
Sep 17, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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=4.16
  2. Affected versionversion=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <04c3eee4e13f60bf6f9a366ad39f88a01a57166e
  3. Affected versionversion=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <2ea35288c83b3d501a88bc17f2df8f176b5cc96f
  4. Affected versionversion=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <6c26ed3c6abe86ddab0510529000b970b05c9b40
  5. Affected versionversion=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <8836c266201c29a5acb4f582227686f47b65ad61
  6. Affected versionversion=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <d44403ec0676317b7f7edf2a035bb219fee3304e
  7. Affected versionversion=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <d5790386595d06ea9decfd9ba5f1ea48cf09aa02
  8. Affected versionversion=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <f99006e840a4dbc8f5a34cecc6b5b26c73ef49bb
  9. Affected versionversion=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <fcab3f661dbfd88e27ddbbe65368f3fa2d823175

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.16; version=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <04c3eee4e13f60bf6f9a366ad39f88a01a57166e; version=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <2ea35288c83b3d501a88bc17f2df8f176b5cc96f; version=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <6c26ed3c6abe86ddab0510529000b970b05c9b40; version=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <8836c266201c29a5acb4f582227686f47b65ad61; version=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <d44403ec0676317b7f7edf2a035bb219fee3304e; version=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <d5790386595d06ea9decfd9ba5f1ea48cf09aa02; version=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <f99006e840a4dbc8f5a34cecc6b5b26c73ef49bb; version=bf5c25d608613eaf4dcdba5a9cac5b2afe67d635 <fcab3f661dbfd88e27ddbbe65368f3fa2d823175

Published CVSS scores

5.5CanonicalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.8LinuxCVSS: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 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
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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