CVE-2023-53437

Kernel crash via zero-pad camera descriptor

Published Sep 18, 2025 · Updated Sep 18, 2025

Improper input validation in affected Linux kernel releases before 6.3 allows local users to crash the kernel via malformed camera descriptors. uvc_mc_create_links() accepts a source entity with zero pads and then selects pad metadata from that empty array while constructing media links. Reachability requires low-privilege local access and a camera exposing the invalid entity graph; the resulting invalid pad access interrupts the host.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

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Summary

What happened

Improper input validation in affected Linux kernel releases before 6.3 allows local users to crash the kernel via malformed camera descriptors. uvc_mc_create_links() accepts a source entity with zero pads and then selects pad metadata from that empty array while constructing media links. Reachability requires low-privilege local access and a camera exposing the invalid entity graph; the resulting invalid pad access interrupts the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53437
Published
Sep 18, 2025
Updated
Sep 18, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
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

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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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <11196ee3916e50a5da3c1e6ecda19a02dca14ba3
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1a76cfc388cf105d3e04ac592670a52a3864b1ba
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2914259fcea23971c6fed8b2618d3a729a78c365
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <31a8d11d28b57656cebfbd4c0b8b76f6ad5b017d
  5. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <41ddb251c68ac75c101d3a50a68c4629c9055e4c
  6. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4e4e6ca62e77539d4df8d13137e2683b10baddd9
  7. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <c8f4a424af5879baefb0fb8a8a09b09ea1779483
  8. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <d8aa2e1ae6426d7cbddf1735aed1a63ddf0e6909

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <11196ee3916e50a5da3c1e6ecda19a02dca14ba3; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1a76cfc388cf105d3e04ac592670a52a3864b1ba; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2914259fcea23971c6fed8b2618d3a729a78c365; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <31a8d11d28b57656cebfbd4c0b8b76f6ad5b017d; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <41ddb251c68ac75c101d3a50a68c4629c9055e4c; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4e4e6ca62e77539d4df8d13137e2683b10baddd9; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <c8f4a424af5879baefb0fb8a8a09b09ea1779483; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <d8aa2e1ae6426d7cbddf1735aed1a63ddf0e6909

Published CVSS scores

5.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NVDCVSS: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

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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