CVE-2023-53438

Kernel panic via misclassified instruction-fetch poison context

Published Sep 18, 2025 · Updated Sep 18, 2025

Denial of service in the Linux x86 machine-check handler allows local users to trigger a kernel panic during AMD Zen poison consumption. The handler leaves the saved CS value at zero when MCG_STATUS lacks EIPV or RIPV, causing severity grading to mistake a user-context instruction-fetch poison error for kernel context. The failure requires an AMD Zen instruction-fetch poison event in a local user's context; the bounded consequence is an unnecessary host crash.

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

Denial of service in the Linux x86 machine-check handler allows local users to trigger a kernel panic during AMD Zen poison consumption. The handler leaves the saved CS value at zero when MCG_STATUS lacks EIPV or RIPV, causing severity grading to mistake a user-context instruction-fetch poison error for kernel context. The failure requires an AMD Zen instruction-fetch poison event in a local user's context; the bounded consequence is an unnecessary host crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53438
Published
Sep 18, 2025
Updated
Sep 18, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
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

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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 <2e01bdf7203c383e9d8489d9f963c52d6c81e4db
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4240e2ebe67941ce2c4f5c866c3af4b5ac7a0c67
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6eac3965901489ae114a664a78cd2d1415d1af5c
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e6e6a5f50f58fadec397b23064b7e4830292863d

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2e01bdf7203c383e9d8489d9f963c52d6c81e4db; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4240e2ebe67941ce2c4f5c866c3af4b5ac7a0c67; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6eac3965901489ae114a664a78cd2d1415d1af5c; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e6e6a5f50f58fadec397b23064b7e4830292863d

Published CVSS scores

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

T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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