Kernel alarm via retained invalid loop offsets
Published Dec 9, 2025 · Updated May 23, 2026
An overflow-handling flaw in Linux kernel loop devices allows local users to retain invalid offsets after a rejected configuration ioctl. loop_set_status_from_info() assigns lo_offset and lo_sizelimit before validating overflow, then returns an error without restoring their prior values. Subsequent file-backed I/O consumes the invalid offset and triggers a kernel alarm; exploitation requires access to configure a loop device.
Summary
What happened
An overflow-handling flaw in Linux kernel loop devices allows local users to retain invalid offsets after a rejected configuration ioctl. loop_set_status_from_info() assigns lo_offset and lo_sizelimit before validating overflow, then returns an error without restoring their prior values. Subsequent file-backed I/O consumes the invalid offset and triggers a kernel alarm; exploitation requires access to configure a loop device.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-53820
- Published
- Dec 9, 2025
- Updated
- May 23, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 9, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 23, 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.
- Affected versionversion=0455bef69028c65065f16bb04635591b2374249b <3e7d0968203d668af6036b9f9199c7b62c8a3581
- Affected versionversion=13b2856037a651ba3ab4a8b25ecab3e791926da3 <2ea7077748e5d7cc64f1c31342c802fe66ea7426
- Affected versionversion=18e28817cb516b39de6281f6db9b0618b2cc7b42
- Affected versionversion=2035c770bfdbcc82bd52e05871a7c82db9529e0f <6bdf4e6dfb60cbb6121ccf027d97ed2ec97c0bcb
- Affected versionversion=4.14.292 <4.15
- Affected versionversion=4.19.257 <4.19.312
- Affected versionversion=4.9.327 <4.10
- Affected versionversion=5.10.140 <5.10.173
- Affected versionversion=5.15.64 <5.15.100
- Affected versionversion=5.19.6 <5.20
- Affected versionversion=5.4.212 <5.4.274
- Affected versionversion=6.0
- Affected versionversion=6858933131d0dadac071c4d33335a9ea4b8e76cf <c79a924ed6afac1708dfd370ba66bcf6a852ced6
- Affected versionversion=9be7fa7ead18a48940df7b59d993bbc8b9055c15
- Affected versionversion=a217715338fd48f72114725aa7a40e484a781ca7 <832580af82ace363205039a8e7c4ef04552ccc1a
- Affected versionversion=adf0112d9b8acb03485624220b4934f69bf13369
- Affected versionversion=b40877b8562c5720d0a7fce20729f56b75a3dede <861021710bba9dfa0749a3c209a6c1773208b1f1
- Affected versionversion=c490a0b5a4f36da3918181a8acdc6991d967c5f3 <258809bf22bf71d53247856f374f2b1d055f2fd4
- Affected versionversion=c490a0b5a4f36da3918181a8acdc6991d967c5f3 <4be26d553a3f1d4f54f25353d1496c562002126d
- Affected versionversion=c490a0b5a4f36da3918181a8acdc6991d967c5f3 <9f6ad5d533d1c71e51bdd06a5712c4fbc8768dfa
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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
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