CVE-2023-53491Network attack vector

Kernel panic via stack-canary reinitialization

Published Oct 1, 2025 · Updated Oct 1, 2025

Improper stack protection in Linux 2.6.30 through 6.4.3 allows remote attackers to cause a kernel panic during early boot. The start_kernel and secondary CPU startup callers invoke boot_init_stack_canary without suppressing stack-protector instrumentation, so canary initialization changes the caller's saved canary and sends execution to __stack_chk_fail. Exposure requires a kernel built with stack protection using a supporting compiler; the public record does not identify the network input that reaches this boot path.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.30%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Improper stack protection in Linux 2.6.30 through 6.4.3 allows remote attackers to cause a kernel panic during early boot. The start_kernel and secondary CPU startup callers invoke boot_init_stack_canary without suppressing stack-protector instrumentation, so canary initialization changes the caller's saved canary and sends execution to __stack_chk_fail. Exposure requires a kernel built with stack protection using a supporting compiler; the public record does not identify the network input that reaches this boot path.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53491
Published
Oct 1, 2025
Updated
Oct 1, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <25e73018b4093e0cfbcec5dc4a4bb86d0b69ed56
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <514ca14ed5444b911de59ed3381dfd195d99fe4b

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <25e73018b4093e0cfbcec5dc4a4bb86d0b69ed56; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <514ca14ed5444b911de59ed3381dfd195d99fe4b

Published CVSS scores

7.5kernel.orgCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo