CVE-2023-53458

Local system crash via unchecked DMA allocation failure

Published Oct 1, 2025 · Updated Oct 1, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel cx23885 driver before 6.4 allows local users to crash the system during buffer handling. A failed dma_alloc_coherent call leaves risc->cpu null because buffer_prepare() does not propagate the cx23885_risc_buffer() failure, and buffer_finish() later frees or accesses it. Exploitation requires local access to exercise the cx23885 media path and can interrupt the host by dereferencing the null pointer.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.16%
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 the Linux kernel cx23885 driver before 6.4 allows local users to crash the system during buffer handling. A failed dma_alloc_coherent call leaves risc->cpu null because buffer_prepare() does not propagate the cx23885_risc_buffer() failure, and buffer_finish() later frees or accesses it. Exploitation requires local access to exercise the cx23885 media path and can interrupt the host by dereferencing the null pointer.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53458
Published
Oct 1, 2025
Updated
Oct 1, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 1, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 1, 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 <47e8b73bc35d7c54642f78e498697692f6358996
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <5b8e5e28e85a546dfccc3895befe0e823fdd7c89
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6738841f6fcf23e9fc30e2449f32fc84ee19c6f1
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <f0a06203f2fe63f04311467200c99c4ee1926578

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <47e8b73bc35d7c54642f78e498697692f6358996; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <5b8e5e28e85a546dfccc3895befe0e823fdd7c89; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6738841f6fcf23e9fc30e2449f32fc84ee19c6f1; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <f0a06203f2fe63f04311467200c99c4ee1926578

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS: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

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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