CVE-2023-53792

Service interruption via leaked DHCHAP secret buffers

Published Dec 9, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Memory leak in Linux kernel 6.0 through 6.4.3 allows local users to exhaust kernel memory through NVMe DHCHAP secret updates. The nvme_ctrl_dhchap_ctrl_secret_store() path returns after nvme_auth_generate_key() fails without freeing its newly allocated dhchap_secret buffer. Repeated writes require local privileged access to the root-writable DHCHAP controller-secret sysfs attribute and can consume kernel memory until service interruption.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
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

Memory leak in Linux kernel 6.0 through 6.4.3 allows local users to exhaust kernel memory through NVMe DHCHAP secret updates. The nvme_ctrl_dhchap_ctrl_secret_store() path returns after nvme_auth_generate_key() fails without freeing its newly allocated dhchap_secret buffer. Repeated writes require local privileged access to the root-writable DHCHAP controller-secret sysfs attribute and can consume kernel memory until service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53792
Published
Dec 9, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 9, 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

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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=6.0
  2. Affected versionversion=f50fff73d620cd6e8f48bc58d4f1c944615a3fea <39b90fc75943406d2bd60fd1ea041aca2559cc5f
  3. Affected versionversion=f50fff73d620cd6e8f48bc58d4f1c944615a3fea <43d0724d756a13694f612a8a151f835ad6425b93
  4. Affected versionversion=f50fff73d620cd6e8f48bc58d4f1c944615a3fea <6ec30a62789913b1bd0f0d44ea4d0d2d5608b1e8
  5. Affected versionversion=f50fff73d620cd6e8f48bc58d4f1c944615a3fea <99c2dcc8ffc24e210a3aa05c204d92f3ef460b05

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.0; version=f50fff73d620cd6e8f48bc58d4f1c944615a3fea <39b90fc75943406d2bd60fd1ea041aca2559cc5f; version=f50fff73d620cd6e8f48bc58d4f1c944615a3fea <43d0724d756a13694f612a8a151f835ad6425b93; version=f50fff73d620cd6e8f48bc58d4f1c944615a3fea <6ec30a62789913b1bd0f0d44ea4d0d2d5608b1e8; version=f50fff73d620cd6e8f48bc58d4f1c944615a3fea <99c2dcc8ffc24e210a3aa05c204d92f3ef460b05

Published CVSS scores

5.5SUSECVSS: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

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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

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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