CVE-2023-53599

Local privilege escalation via uninitialized scatterlist pointer

Published Oct 4, 2025 · Updated Oct 4, 2025

Uninitialized memory use in Linux 6.5 through 6.5.2 allows local users to escalate privileges or crash s390x systems through AF_ALG. When af_alg_get_rsgl handles an empty ciphertext, it skips scatterlist setup, leaving req->dst as a heap-influenced pointer that gcm-aes-s390 dereferences. Any unprivileged local user able to open an AF_ALG AEAD socket can trigger kernel memory reads or writes and an immediate kernel oops; the reported crash path is specific to s390x.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uninitialized memory use in Linux 6.5 through 6.5.2 allows local users to escalate privileges or crash s390x systems through AF_ALG. When af_alg_get_rsgl handles an empty ciphertext, it skips scatterlist setup, leaving req->dst as a heap-influenced pointer that gcm-aes-s390 dereferences. Any unprivileged local user able to open an AF_ALG AEAD socket can trigger kernel memory reads or writes and an immediate kernel oops; the reported crash path is specific to s390x.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53599
Published
Oct 4, 2025
Updated
Oct 4, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

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=6.5
  2. Affected versionversion=c1abe6f570aff4b6d396dc551e60570d2f50bd79 <2c9d205040d7c0eaccc473917f9b0bb0a923e440
  3. Affected versionversion=c1abe6f570aff4b6d396dc551e60570d2f50bd79 <6a4b8aa0a916b39a39175584c07222434fa6c6ef

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.5; version=c1abe6f570aff4b6d396dc551e60570d2f50bd79 <2c9d205040d7c0eaccc473917f9b0bb0a923e440; version=c1abe6f570aff4b6d396dc551e60570d2f50bd79 <6a4b8aa0a916b39a39175584c07222434fa6c6ef

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.

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
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation
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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