CVE-2023-53765

Kernel crash via undrained dm-cache work queue

Published Dec 8, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Resource cleanup failure in the Linux dm-cache target allows local users to interrupt service by tearing down a cache device. The btracker_destroy function destroys the bt_work slab cache without first draining queued background-work objects, leaving live allocations for kmem_cache_destroy. Triggering the documented path requires high local privileges to remove a device-mapper cache target; the resulting kernel BUG can crash the host.

CVSS severity4.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Resource cleanup failure in the Linux dm-cache target allows local users to interrupt service by tearing down a cache device. The btracker_destroy function destroys the bt_work slab cache without first draining queued background-work objects, leaving live allocations for kmem_cache_destroy. Triggering the documented path requires high local privileges to remove a device-mapper cache target; the resulting kernel BUG can crash the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53765
Published
Dec 8, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 8, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 11, 2026Record 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=4.12
  2. Affected versionversion=b29d4986d0da1a27cd35917cdb433672f5c95d7f <673a3af21d5e3ed769f3eaed0c888244290a3506
  3. Affected versionversion=b29d4986d0da1a27cd35917cdb433672f5c95d7f <95ab80a8a0fef2ce0cc494a306dd283948066ce7
  4. Affected versionversion=b29d4986d0da1a27cd35917cdb433672f5c95d7f <ed56ad5cacb7a3aeb611494d5d66e2399d2bfecc

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.12; version=b29d4986d0da1a27cd35917cdb433672f5c95d7f <673a3af21d5e3ed769f3eaed0c888244290a3506; version=b29d4986d0da1a27cd35917cdb433672f5c95d7f <95ab80a8a0fef2ce0cc494a306dd283948066ce7; version=b29d4986d0da1a27cd35917cdb433672f5c95d7f <ed56ad5cacb7a3aeb611494d5d66e2399d2bfecc

Published CVSS scores

4.4Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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.

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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

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

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