CVE-2023-53544

Kernel memory corruption via premature clock release

Published Oct 4, 2025 · Updated Oct 4, 2025

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel's DaVinci CPUFreq driver from 2.6.33 allows local users to access freed clocks during driver removal. The remove function releases its clocks before cpufreq_unregister_driver(), allowing a racing CPUFreq callback to dereference a released clock. Reachability requires the DaVinci CPUFreq driver on compatible hardware and local low-privileged access to win the driver-removal race, producing unsafe kernel memory access.

CVSS severity7.8
High
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's DaVinci CPUFreq driver from 2.6.33 allows local users to access freed clocks during driver removal. The remove function releases its clocks before cpufreq_unregister_driver(), allowing a racing CPUFreq callback to dereference a released clock. Reachability requires the DaVinci CPUFreq driver on compatible hardware and local low-privileged access to win the driver-removal race, producing unsafe kernel memory access.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53544
Published
Oct 4, 2025
Updated
Oct 4, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 4, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 4, 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=2.6.33
  2. Affected versionversion=6601b8030de3e9c29930684eeac15302a59f991a <5d8f384a9b4fc50f6a18405f1c08e5a87a77b5b3
  3. Affected versionversion=6601b8030de3e9c29930684eeac15302a59f991a <66b3bbe6fbd8dd410868e5b53ac3944a934b9310
  4. Affected versionversion=6601b8030de3e9c29930684eeac15302a59f991a <a5f024d0e6f91e05c816ad4ee8837173369dd5cb
  5. Affected versionversion=6601b8030de3e9c29930684eeac15302a59f991a <ab05ae4ab831f64bbc427592c86f599ed9c4324f

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.33; version=6601b8030de3e9c29930684eeac15302a59f991a <5d8f384a9b4fc50f6a18405f1c08e5a87a77b5b3; version=6601b8030de3e9c29930684eeac15302a59f991a <66b3bbe6fbd8dd410868e5b53ac3944a934b9310; version=6601b8030de3e9c29930684eeac15302a59f991a <a5f024d0e6f91e05c816ad4ee8837173369dd5cb; version=6601b8030de3e9c29930684eeac15302a59f991a <ab05ae4ab831f64bbc427592c86f599ed9c4324f

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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-416Use After Free

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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