CVE-2023-53655

Kernel panic via recursive RCU kprobe

Published Oct 7, 2025 · Updated Oct 7, 2025

Uncontrolled recursion in the Linux kernel allows local users to panic the system by registering and enabling a crafted RCU kprobe. The kprobe framework permits instrumentation of __rcu_irq_enter_check_tick, so a debug exception reenters that same RCU path repeatedly until the kernel stack overflows. Reachability requires CONFIG_NO_HZ_FULL, a nohz_full boot argument, and access to privileged tracefs controls; successful triggering halts the kernel.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled recursion in the Linux kernel allows local users to panic the system by registering and enabling a crafted RCU kprobe. The kprobe framework permits instrumentation of __rcu_irq_enter_check_tick, so a debug exception reenters that same RCU path repeatedly until the kernel stack overflows. Reachability requires CONFIG_NO_HZ_FULL, a nohz_full boot argument, and access to privileged tracefs controls; successful triggering halts the kernel.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53655
Published
Oct 7, 2025
Updated
Oct 7, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-674, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

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=5.8
  2. Affected versionversion=aaf2bc50df1f4bfc6857fc601fc7b21d5a18c6a1 <4c3d1a6720aefb02403ddfebe85db521d3af2c3b
  3. Affected versionversion=aaf2bc50df1f4bfc6857fc601fc7b21d5a18c6a1 <7a29fb4a4771124bc61de397dbfc1554dbbcc19c
  4. Affected versionversion=aaf2bc50df1f4bfc6857fc601fc7b21d5a18c6a1 <7b5a97333e920b69356e097f185bdc51d61e66ee
  5. Affected versionversion=aaf2bc50df1f4bfc6857fc601fc7b21d5a18c6a1 <93b6295f677d96b73cfcb703532f6c7369a60d96
  6. Affected versionversion=aaf2bc50df1f4bfc6857fc601fc7b21d5a18c6a1 <c8a3341b339285495cf7c8d061d659465f2311e0
  7. Affected versionversion=aaf2bc50df1f4bfc6857fc601fc7b21d5a18c6a1 <eb18bc5a8678f431c500e6da1b8b5f34478d5bc1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.8; version=aaf2bc50df1f4bfc6857fc601fc7b21d5a18c6a1 <4c3d1a6720aefb02403ddfebe85db521d3af2c3b; version=aaf2bc50df1f4bfc6857fc601fc7b21d5a18c6a1 <7a29fb4a4771124bc61de397dbfc1554dbbcc19c; version=aaf2bc50df1f4bfc6857fc601fc7b21d5a18c6a1 <7b5a97333e920b69356e097f185bdc51d61e66ee; version=aaf2bc50df1f4bfc6857fc601fc7b21d5a18c6a1 <93b6295f677d96b73cfcb703532f6c7369a60d96; version=aaf2bc50df1f4bfc6857fc601fc7b21d5a18c6a1 <c8a3341b339285495cf7c8d061d659465f2311e0; version=aaf2bc50df1f4bfc6857fc601fc7b21d5a18c6a1 <eb18bc5a8678f431c500e6da1b8b5f34478d5bc1

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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-674Uncontrolled Recursion
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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