CVE-2023-53488

Kernel panic via uncanceled hfi1 counter work

Published Oct 1, 2025 · Updated Oct 1, 2025

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel hfi1 driver from 4.3 allows local users with administrative capabilities to panic the system. During hot-unplug or driver removal, queued update_cntr_work can execute after device teardown frees its backing memory because hfi1 did not synchronously cancel the work first. Reaching the race requires an hfi1 device and administrative ability to hot-unplug, unbind, or remove its driver; the reported consequence is an availability-only kernel panic.

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

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel hfi1 driver from 4.3 allows local users with administrative capabilities to panic the system. During hot-unplug or driver removal, queued update_cntr_work can execute after device teardown frees its backing memory because hfi1 did not synchronously cancel the work first. Reaching the race requires an hfi1 device and administrative ability to hot-unplug, unbind, or remove its driver; the reported consequence is an availability-only kernel panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53488
Published
Oct 1, 2025
Updated
Oct 1, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-664, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

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=4.3
  2. Affected versionversion=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <33c677d1e087e437c7dcaad8d73402cf6add282e
  3. Affected versionversion=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <4fdfaef71fced490835145631a795497646f4555
  4. Affected versionversion=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <5e72f33ddfdb69cb21c1b59d31bbd3498d31b14a
  5. Affected versionversion=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <918c1e6843b7e81d0e5cf7994f41f28dc34c98b0
  6. Affected versionversion=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <ac6640f4193d0f5b44269a7f08372909f9a18e5c
  7. Affected versionversion=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <bfd727ad8411995218f336ead9f2becfde7f3a89
  8. Affected versionversion=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <c2145b18740c7e697748e4005ce93a5c683c86a8
  9. Affected versionversion=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <d32a5e9b825d40c08a43dfbcba007159fed41a5d

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.3; version=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <33c677d1e087e437c7dcaad8d73402cf6add282e; version=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <4fdfaef71fced490835145631a795497646f4555; version=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <5e72f33ddfdb69cb21c1b59d31bbd3498d31b14a; version=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <918c1e6843b7e81d0e5cf7994f41f28dc34c98b0; version=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <ac6640f4193d0f5b44269a7f08372909f9a18e5c; version=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <bfd727ad8411995218f336ead9f2becfde7f3a89; version=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <c2145b18740c7e697748e4005ce93a5c683c86a8; version=7724105686e718ac476a6ad3304fea2fbcfcffde <d32a5e9b825d40c08a43dfbcba007159fed41a5d

Published CVSS scores

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

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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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-664Improper Control of a Resource Through its Lifetime
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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