CVE-2023-53588

Service interruption via premature channel-context validation

Published Oct 4, 2025 · Updated Oct 4, 2025

Improper state validation in Linux mac80211 3.8 through 6.5.4 allows local users to trigger a kernel warning by probing a client. The ieee80211_probe_client function dereferences the AP channel context and invokes WARN_ON before confirming that the requested station exists. An unprivileged local probe against an AP that has not started reaches the warning; systems configured with panic_on_warn convert it into a kernel panic and service interruption.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
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

Improper state validation in Linux mac80211 3.8 through 6.5.4 allows local users to trigger a kernel warning by probing a client. The ieee80211_probe_client function dereferences the AP channel context and invokes WARN_ON before confirming that the requested station exists. An unprivileged local probe against an AP that has not started reaches the warning; systems configured with panic_on_warn convert it into a kernel panic and service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53588
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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <67dfa589aa8806c7959cbca2f4613b8d41c75a06
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7dce2deb0b03aaf46c87ceedea81ef4153e26c40
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7e1cda5cf07f848e6b50b4e5e7761ffbce905a3d

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <67dfa589aa8806c7959cbca2f4613b8d41c75a06; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7dce2deb0b03aaf46c87ceedea81ef4153e26c40; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7e1cda5cf07f848e6b50b4e5e7761ffbce905a3d

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 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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application 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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