CVE-2023-53585

Kernel memory exhaustion via socket refcount leak

Published Oct 4, 2025 · Updated Oct 4, 2025

Reference-counting error in affected Linux kernel releases beginning with 5.7 allows local users to exhaust memory via eBPF socket assignment. bpf_sk_assign increments the reference count for an unhashed UDP socket before bind or connect sets SOCK_RCU_FREE, causing skb_steal_sock to suppress the matching sock_put. Low-privileged local access and an eBPF program using a sockmap are required; repeated assignments leak socket references until kernel memory is exhausted.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
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

Reference-counting error in affected Linux kernel releases beginning with 5.7 allows local users to exhaust memory via eBPF socket assignment. bpf_sk_assign increments the reference count for an unhashed UDP socket before bind or connect sets SOCK_RCU_FREE, causing skb_steal_sock to suppress the matching sock_put. Low-privileged local access and an eBPF program using a sockmap are required; repeated assignments leak socket references until kernel memory is exhausted.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53585
Published
Oct 4, 2025
Updated
Oct 4, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
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=5.7
  2. Affected versionversion=cf7fbe660f2dbd738ab58aea8e9b0ca6ad232449 <3d4522f59fb748a54446846522941a4f09da63e9
  3. Affected versionversion=cf7fbe660f2dbd738ab58aea8e9b0ca6ad232449 <67312adc96b5a585970d03b62412847afe2c6b01
  4. Affected versionversion=cf7fbe660f2dbd738ab58aea8e9b0ca6ad232449 <791a12102e5191dcb6ce0b3a99d71b5a2802d12a
  5. Affected versionversion=cf7fbe660f2dbd738ab58aea8e9b0ca6ad232449 <7dcbc0bb0e5cc1823923744befce59ac353135e6
  6. Affected versionversion=cf7fbe660f2dbd738ab58aea8e9b0ca6ad232449 <8aa43cfbb68b25119d2ced14ec717173e2901fa2
  7. Affected versionversion=cf7fbe660f2dbd738ab58aea8e9b0ca6ad232449 <c0ce0fb76610d5fad31f56f2ca8241a2a6717a1b

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.7; version=cf7fbe660f2dbd738ab58aea8e9b0ca6ad232449 <3d4522f59fb748a54446846522941a4f09da63e9; version=cf7fbe660f2dbd738ab58aea8e9b0ca6ad232449 <67312adc96b5a585970d03b62412847afe2c6b01; version=cf7fbe660f2dbd738ab58aea8e9b0ca6ad232449 <791a12102e5191dcb6ce0b3a99d71b5a2802d12a; version=cf7fbe660f2dbd738ab58aea8e9b0ca6ad232449 <7dcbc0bb0e5cc1823923744befce59ac353135e6; version=cf7fbe660f2dbd738ab58aea8e9b0ca6ad232449 <8aa43cfbb68b25119d2ced14ec717173e2901fa2; version=cf7fbe660f2dbd738ab58aea8e9b0ca6ad232449 <c0ce0fb76610d5fad31f56f2ca8241a2a6717a1b

Published CVSS scores

5.5Canonical UbuntuCVSS: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

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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

T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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