CVE-2023-53489

Local memory exhaustion via zero-copy socket leaks

Published Oct 1, 2025 · Updated Oct 1, 2025

Memory leakage in the Linux kernel 4.14 through 6.3.1 allows local users to exhaust kernel memory through crafted zero-copy socket use. In __skb_tstamp_tx(), skb_clone() retains the zero-copy buffer reference on a timestamped clone, creating a socket-error-queue reference cycle that prevents sock_put() and buffer cleanup. A low-privileged local process must enable transmit software timestamping and zero-copy transmission; repeated socket closure leaks kernel objects and can interrupt the system.

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

Memory leakage in the Linux kernel 4.14 through 6.3.1 allows local users to exhaust kernel memory through crafted zero-copy socket use. In __skb_tstamp_tx(), skb_clone() retains the zero-copy buffer reference on a timestamped clone, creating a socket-error-queue reference cycle that prevents sock_put() and buffer cleanup. A low-privileged local process must enable transmit software timestamping and zero-copy transmission; repeated socket closure leaks kernel objects and can interrupt the system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53489
Published
Oct 1, 2025
Updated
Oct 1, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.004
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=4.14
  2. Affected versionversion=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <1f69c086b20e27763af28145981435423f088268
  3. Affected versionversion=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <230a5ed7d813fb516de81d23f09d7506753e41e9
  4. Affected versionversion=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <281072fb2a7294cde7acbf5375b879f40a8001b7
  5. Affected versionversion=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <30290f210ba7426ff7592fe2eb4114b1b5bad219
  6. Affected versionversion=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <426384dd4980040651536fef5feac4dcc4d7ee4e
  7. Affected versionversion=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <43e4197dd5f6b474a8b16f8b6a42cd45cf4f9d1a
  8. Affected versionversion=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <50749f2dd6854a41830996ad302aef2ffaf011d8
  9. Affected versionversion=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <602fa8af44fd55a58f9e94eb673e8adad2c6cc46
  10. Affected versionversion=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <cb52e7f24c1d01a536a847dff0d1d95889cc3b5c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.14; version=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <1f69c086b20e27763af28145981435423f088268; version=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <230a5ed7d813fb516de81d23f09d7506753e41e9; version=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <281072fb2a7294cde7acbf5375b879f40a8001b7; version=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <30290f210ba7426ff7592fe2eb4114b1b5bad219; version=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <426384dd4980040651536fef5feac4dcc4d7ee4e; version=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <43e4197dd5f6b474a8b16f8b6a42cd45cf4f9d1a; version=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <50749f2dd6854a41830996ad302aef2ffaf011d8; version=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <602fa8af44fd55a58f9e94eb673e8adad2c6cc46; version=f214f915e7db99091f1312c48b30928c1e0c90b7 <cb52e7f24c1d01a536a847dff0d1d95889cc3b5c

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

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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

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.004Application 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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