CVE-2023-53596

Kernel memory corruption via skipped devres release

Published Oct 4, 2025 · Updated Oct 4, 2025

Resource lifetime error in Linux kernel 3.7 and later allows local users to corrupt kernel memory while unregistering certain devices. device_del() skips devres_release_all() for bus-less or unprobed driver-less devices, leaving managed actions unexecuted and references outstanding. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and an affected device whose managed resource retains a device reference.

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

Resource lifetime error in Linux kernel 3.7 and later allows local users to corrupt kernel memory while unregistering certain devices. device_del() skips devres_release_all() for bus-less or unprobed driver-less devices, leaving managed actions unexecuted and references outstanding. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and an affected device whose managed resource retains a device reference.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53596
Published
Oct 4, 2025
Updated
Oct 4, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-415, 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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=3.7
  2. Affected versionversion=a525a3ddeaca69f405d98442ab3c0746e53168dc <297992e5c63528e603666e36081836204fc36ec9
  3. Affected versionversion=a525a3ddeaca69f405d98442ab3c0746e53168dc <3bcc4c2a096e8342c8c719e595ce15de212694dd
  4. Affected versionversion=a525a3ddeaca69f405d98442ab3c0746e53168dc <699fb50d99039a50e7494de644f96c889279aca3
  5. Affected versionversion=a525a3ddeaca69f405d98442ab3c0746e53168dc <c8c426fae26086a0ca8ab6cc6da2de79810ec038

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.7; version=a525a3ddeaca69f405d98442ab3c0746e53168dc <297992e5c63528e603666e36081836204fc36ec9; version=a525a3ddeaca69f405d98442ab3c0746e53168dc <3bcc4c2a096e8342c8c719e595ce15de212694dd; version=a525a3ddeaca69f405d98442ab3c0746e53168dc <699fb50d99039a50e7494de644f96c889279aca3; version=a525a3ddeaca69f405d98442ab3c0746e53168dc <c8c426fae26086a0ca8ab6cc6da2de79810ec038

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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

CWE-415Double Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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