Kernel disclosure and crash via stale queue count
Published Oct 7, 2025 · Updated Oct 7, 2025
Out-of-bounds access in the Linux kernel iavf driver allows local users to disclose kernel memory or crash the host during VF removal. On a reset timeout, iavf_set_channels updates num_active_queues without reallocating tx_rings and rx_rings, so later cleanup and statistics paths index beyond those arrays. Triggering requires an iavf-backed SR-IOV virtual function, local channel-setting access, and a concurrent reset or removal stall; the resulting slab access can panic the kernel.
Summary
What happened
Out-of-bounds access in the Linux kernel iavf driver allows local users to disclose kernel memory or crash the host during VF removal. On a reset timeout, iavf_set_channels updates num_active_queues without reallocating tx_rings and rx_rings, so later cleanup and statistics paths index beyond those arrays. Triggering requires an iavf-backed SR-IOV virtual function, local channel-setting access, and a concurrent reset or removal stall; the resulting slab access can panic the kernel.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-53659
- Published
- Oct 7, 2025
- Updated
- Oct 7, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 7, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 7, 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.
- Affected versionversion=1555d83ddbb7204ef60c58aee6ca3bbef2c5e99f <b92defe4e8ee86996c16417ad8c804cb4395fddd
- Affected versionversion=4e5e6b5d9d1334d3490326b6922a2daaf56a867f <65ecebc9ac09427b2c65f271cd5e5bd536c3fe38
- Affected versionversion=4e5e6b5d9d1334d3490326b6922a2daaf56a867f <6e1d8f1332076a002e6d910d255aa5903d341c56
- Affected versionversion=4e5e6b5d9d1334d3490326b6922a2daaf56a867f <7c4bced3caa749ce468b0c5de711c98476b23a52
- Affected versionversion=5.16
- Affected versionversion=68d4274034e618b7f190dc9fbfc4f3436a7430f4 <0fb37ce6c01e17839e26d03222f0b44e6a3ed2b9
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
- Linux kernel iavf channel-setting reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo