CVE-2023-53817Network attack vector

Remote kernel crash via zeroed Diffie-Hellman value

Published Dec 9, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

A null pointer dereference in Linux allows remote attackers to crash the kernel through NVMe/TCP DH-HMAC-CHAP authentication. The mpi_cmp_ui() function compares the parsed MPI against 1 but later dereferences u->d when a correctly sized, all-zero 8192-bit Diffie-Hellman value produces no limbs and leaves u->d null. Reachability requires an NVMe/TCP peer to send the crafted value during authentication; the resulting oops terminates the worker and can panic the host.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.51%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A null pointer dereference in Linux allows remote attackers to crash the kernel through NVMe/TCP DH-HMAC-CHAP authentication. The mpi_cmp_ui() function compares the parsed MPI against 1 but later dereferences u->d when a correctly sized, all-zero 8192-bit Diffie-Hellman value produces no limbs and leaves u->d null. Reachability requires an NVMe/TCP peer to send the crafted value during authentication; the resulting oops terminates the worker and can panic the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53817
Published
Dec 9, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 9, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 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=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <0fc7147c694394f8a8cbc19570c6bc918cac0906
  2. Affected versionversion=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <12ac013ad7ff0df066451e825801d805095b3776
  3. Affected versionversion=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <61f5453e9706e99713825594e0c8f9031485fb5f
  4. Affected versionversion=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <67589d247909043e94d2dd5fb590958e0f99d58d
  5. Affected versionversion=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <9e47a758b70167c9301d2b44d2569f86c7796f2d
  6. Affected versionversion=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <ae63e84ffda74267bf7277c38415ba38389229a0
  7. Affected versionversion=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <d3ad023a39f1127dcfd331c562673355dc078650
  8. Affected versionversion=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <fde791e8a96a64ea7b0ad2440e43586447a209c6
  9. Affected versionversion=3.7

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <0fc7147c694394f8a8cbc19570c6bc918cac0906; version=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <12ac013ad7ff0df066451e825801d805095b3776; version=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <61f5453e9706e99713825594e0c8f9031485fb5f; version=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <67589d247909043e94d2dd5fb590958e0f99d58d; version=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <9e47a758b70167c9301d2b44d2569f86c7796f2d; version=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <ae63e84ffda74267bf7277c38415ba38389229a0; version=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <d3ad023a39f1127dcfd331c562673355dc078650; version=12f008b6dc5ff1c822fdb2198d20e3dbdc92f3f5 <fde791e8a96a64ea7b0ad2440e43586447a209c6; version=3.7

Published CVSS scores

7.5LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
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

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Your stack

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