CVE-2023-53555

Local system crash via uninitialized DAMOS filter list

Published Oct 4, 2025 · Updated Oct 4, 2025

NULL-pointer dereference in Linux kernel 6.3 through 6.4.10 and 6.5-rc1 through 6.5-rc5 allows local users to crash the system. The damos_new_filter() allocator leaves the filter object's list field uninitialized, and both the DAMON sysfs interface and DAMON_RECLAIM consume it without initialization. Reaching the fault requires local low-privileged access and creation of multiple filters; the documented consequence is a NULL-pointer dereference that interrupts the host.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.13%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL-pointer dereference in Linux kernel 6.3 through 6.4.10 and 6.5-rc1 through 6.5-rc5 allows local users to crash the system. The damos_new_filter() allocator leaves the filter object's list field uninitialized, and both the DAMON sysfs interface and DAMON_RECLAIM consume it without initialization. Reaching the fault requires local low-privileged access and creation of multiple filters; the documented consequence is a NULL-pointer dereference that interrupts the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53555
Published
Oct 4, 2025
Updated
Oct 4, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-908, T1499.004
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=6.3
  2. Affected versionversion=98def236f63c66629fb6b2d4b69cecffc5b46539 <5f1fc67f2cb8d3035d3acd273b48b97835af8afd
  3. Affected versionversion=98def236f63c66629fb6b2d4b69cecffc5b46539 <da7beebb49c643cd03c54447ed66595936a7a1ce

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.3; version=98def236f63c66629fb6b2d4b69cecffc5b46539 <5f1fc67f2cb8d3035d3acd273b48b97835af8afd; version=98def236f63c66629fb6b2d4b69cecffc5b46539 <da7beebb49c643cd03c54447ed66595936a7a1ce

Published CVSS scores

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.

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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-908Use of Uninitialized Resource
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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