Kernel heap over-read via unvalidated netlink attribute
Published Oct 1, 2025 · Updated Oct 1, 2025
Out-of-bounds read in Linux 6.4 through 6.4.7 allows local users to access kernel heap data via a malformed macvlan netlink attribute. The macvlan_policy table omits an NLA_S32 policy for IFLA_MACVLAN_BC_CUTOFF, so the parser accepts a zero-byte value instead of requiring four bytes. Low-privileged local access is required; the published description establishes an out-of-bounds read but does not document code execution, privilege escalation, or a reliable crash.
Summary
What happened
Out-of-bounds read in Linux 6.4 through 6.4.7 allows local users to access kernel heap data via a malformed macvlan netlink attribute. The macvlan_policy table omits an NLA_S32 policy for IFLA_MACVLAN_BC_CUTOFF, so the parser accepts a zero-byte value instead of requiring four bytes. Low-privileged local access is required; the published description establishes an out-of-bounds read but does not document code execution, privilege escalation, or a reliable crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-53516
- Published
- Oct 1, 2025
- Updated
- Oct 1, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 1, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=6.4
- Affected versionversion=954d1fa1ac93aa8a66f7d9a9ba545cf7f020d348 <55cef78c244d0d076f5a75a35530ca63c92f4426
- Affected versionversion=954d1fa1ac93aa8a66f7d9a9ba545cf7f020d348 <79f44709aa7a744fbfbadd4aef678443290c6991
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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