CVE-2023-53556Public exploit

Local privilege escalation via stale NAPI queue pointers

Published Oct 4, 2025 · Updated Oct 4, 2025

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel iavf driver allows local users with CAP_NET_ADMIN to gain kernel privileges through queue reconfiguration. iavf_alloc_q_vectors registers NAPI objects for every allocated queue vector, but cleanup can deregister only active vectors before freeing the entire array, leaving stale pointers in dev->napi_list. Exploitation requires an assigned SR-IOV virtual function and repeated local channel and device reconfiguration; the resulting kernel-memory operations enable privilege escalation or a kernel crash.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.15%
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 iavf driver allows local users with CAP_NET_ADMIN to gain kernel privileges through queue reconfiguration. iavf_alloc_q_vectors registers NAPI objects for every allocated queue vector, but cleanup can deregister only active vectors before freeing the entire array, leaving stale pointers in dev->napi_list. Exploitation requires an assigned SR-IOV virtual function and repeated local channel and device reconfiguration; the resulting kernel-memory operations enable privilege escalation or a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53556
Published
Oct 4, 2025
Updated
Oct 4, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
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=3.14
  2. Affected versionversion=5eae00c57f5e42bf201023471917da213c4946d6 <17046107ca15d7571551539d94e76aba2bf71fd3
  3. Affected versionversion=5eae00c57f5e42bf201023471917da213c4946d6 <345c44e18cc10cded85cb9134830e1684495c866
  4. Affected versionversion=5eae00c57f5e42bf201023471917da213c4946d6 <5f4fa1672d98fe99d2297b03add35346f1685d6b
  5. Affected versionversion=5eae00c57f5e42bf201023471917da213c4946d6 <8d781a9c53034813c3194b7d94409c7d24ac73eb
  6. Affected versionversion=5eae00c57f5e42bf201023471917da213c4946d6 <a4635f190f332304db4a49e827ece790b804b5db
  7. Affected versionversion=5eae00c57f5e42bf201023471917da213c4946d6 <ca12b98e04b5d1902ac08fe826d3500cb4b6e891

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.14; version=5eae00c57f5e42bf201023471917da213c4946d6 <17046107ca15d7571551539d94e76aba2bf71fd3; version=5eae00c57f5e42bf201023471917da213c4946d6 <345c44e18cc10cded85cb9134830e1684495c866; version=5eae00c57f5e42bf201023471917da213c4946d6 <5f4fa1672d98fe99d2297b03add35346f1685d6b; version=5eae00c57f5e42bf201023471917da213c4946d6 <8d781a9c53034813c3194b7d94409c7d24ac73eb; version=5eae00c57f5e42bf201023471917da213c4946d6 <a4635f190f332304db4a49e827ece790b804b5db; version=5eae00c57f5e42bf201023471917da213c4946d6 <ca12b98e04b5d1902ac08fe826d3500cb4b6e891

Published CVSS scores

7.8Linux kernel CVE teamCVSS: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 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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

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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