CVE-2023-53636

System interruption via double auxiliary-device release

Published Oct 7, 2025 · Updated Oct 7, 2025

Use-after-free in the Microchip PolarFire SoC clock driver in Linux allows local users to interrupt affected Linux systems. When auxiliary_device_add() fails, incorrect teardown order invokes the auxiliary-device release callback twice and reuses freed kernel memory. Reachability requires local low-privileged access and the driver failure path; published material does not identify whether interruption takes the form of a hang, crash, or reboot.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.20%
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 Microchip PolarFire SoC clock driver in Linux allows local users to interrupt affected Linux systems. When auxiliary_device_add() fails, incorrect teardown order invokes the auxiliary-device release callback twice and reuses freed kernel memory. Reachability requires local low-privileged access and the driver failure path; published material does not identify whether interruption takes the form of a hang, crash, or reboot.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53636
Published
Oct 7, 2025
Updated
Oct 7, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 7, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 7, 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=6.1
  2. Affected versionversion=b56bae2dd6fda6baf3bb74af3812676eebdd52f2 <5b4052aa956e11bcd19e50ca559eb38dcb46201b
  3. Affected versionversion=b56bae2dd6fda6baf3bb74af3812676eebdd52f2 <7455b7007b9e93bcc2bc9c1c6c73a228e3152069
  4. Affected versionversion=b56bae2dd6fda6baf3bb74af3812676eebdd52f2 <934406b2d42eaf3fc57f5546cc68ff7ab9680bb3
  5. Affected versionversion=b56bae2dd6fda6baf3bb74af3812676eebdd52f2 <d7d6dacf39ed102d7667721ca1700022c9c8b11a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.1; version=b56bae2dd6fda6baf3bb74af3812676eebdd52f2 <5b4052aa956e11bcd19e50ca559eb38dcb46201b; version=b56bae2dd6fda6baf3bb74af3812676eebdd52f2 <7455b7007b9e93bcc2bc9c1c6c73a228e3152069; version=b56bae2dd6fda6baf3bb74af3812676eebdd52f2 <934406b2d42eaf3fc57f5546cc68ff7ab9680bb3; version=b56bae2dd6fda6baf3bb74af3812676eebdd52f2 <d7d6dacf39ed102d7667721ca1700022c9c8b11a

Published CVSS scores

7.8UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.5SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
6.8SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

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 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

CWE-416Use After Free
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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