CVE-2023-53397

Out-of-bounds read via terminal section index

Published Sep 18, 2025 · Updated Sep 18, 2025

Out-of-bounds read in Linux modpost allows local users to interrupt module post-processing through a terminal ELF section index. is_executable_section() rejects indexes greater than elf->num_sections but accepts an index equal to that count, then reads elf->sechdrs[section_index] one element past the array. Reachability requires local influence over an ELF object processed during a kernel or module build, and the published assessment limits impact to availability.

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

Out-of-bounds read in Linux modpost allows local users to interrupt module post-processing through a terminal ELF section index. is_executable_section() rejects indexes greater than elf->num_sections but accepts an index equal to that count, then reads elf->sechdrs[section_index] one element past the array. Reachability requires local influence over an ELF object processed during a kernel or module build, and the published assessment limits impact to availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53397
Published
Sep 18, 2025
Updated
Sep 18, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-193, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 18, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 18, 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=4.1
  2. Affected versionversion=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <02dc8e8bdbe4412cfcf17ee3873e63fa5a55b957
  3. Affected versionversion=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <3a3f1e573a105328a2cca45a7cfbebabbf5e3192
  4. Affected versionversion=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <5e0424cd8a44b5f480feb06753cdf4e1f248d148
  5. Affected versionversion=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <7ee557590bac154d324de446d1cd0444988bd511
  6. Affected versionversion=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <8b2e77050b91199453bf19d0517b047b7339a9e3
  7. Affected versionversion=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <cade370efe2f9e2a79ea8587506ffe2b51ac6d2b
  8. Affected versionversion=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <cb0cdca5c979bc34c27602e2039562932c2591a4
  9. Affected versionversion=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <dd872d5576cc94528f427c7264c2c438928cc6d2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.1; version=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <02dc8e8bdbe4412cfcf17ee3873e63fa5a55b957; version=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <3a3f1e573a105328a2cca45a7cfbebabbf5e3192; version=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <5e0424cd8a44b5f480feb06753cdf4e1f248d148; version=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <7ee557590bac154d324de446d1cd0444988bd511; version=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <8b2e77050b91199453bf19d0517b047b7339a9e3; version=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <cade370efe2f9e2a79ea8587506ffe2b51ac6d2b; version=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <cb0cdca5c979bc34c27602e2039562932c2591a4; version=52dc0595d540155436d91811f929bdc8afd6a2a1 <dd872d5576cc94528f427c7264c2c438928cc6d2

Published CVSS scores

5.5CISA ADPCVSS: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.

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

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-193Off-by-one Error
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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