Slab use-after-free via overlapping skb control fields
Published Dec 9, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel IPv6 VTI transmit path allows attackers to trigger an invalid kernel memory read during packet transmission. An sfb qdisc writes hash data into the skb control buffer, and decode_session6 later interprets overlapping bytes as a header offset without first clearing that buffer. Exposure requires an affected kernel at or after 3.19 and an IPv6 VTI device using an sfb qdisc; the demonstrated consequence is a KASAN-detected invalid read.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel IPv6 VTI transmit path allows attackers to trigger an invalid kernel memory read during packet transmission. An sfb qdisc writes hash data into the skb control buffer, and decode_session6 later interprets overlapping bytes as a header offset without first clearing that buffer. Exposure requires an affected kernel at or after 3.19 and an IPv6 VTI device using an sfb qdisc; the demonstrated consequence is a KASAN-detected invalid read.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-53821
- Published
- Dec 9, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 9, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=3.19
- Affected versionversion=f855691975bb06373a98711e4cfe2c224244b536 <0f0ab8d52ee0062b28367dea23c29e254a26d7db
- Affected versionversion=f855691975bb06373a98711e4cfe2c224244b536 <55ad2309205cc00c585344374c7472420e1b2c12
- Affected versionversion=f855691975bb06373a98711e4cfe2c224244b536 <9fd41f1ba638938c9a1195d09bc6fa3be2712f25
- Affected versionversion=f855691975bb06373a98711e4cfe2c224244b536 <a1639a82ce14af76b6419778d343ccbff86ee626
- Affected versionversion=f855691975bb06373a98711e4cfe2c224244b536 <c070688bfbe7759e61e697e421b2a331b0dd74bc
- Affected versionversion=f855691975bb06373a98711e4cfe2c224244b536 <eb47e612e59c358c3968a92f90dd36c78c9a2106
- Affected versionversion=f855691975bb06373a98711e4cfe2c224244b536 <ec23b25e5687dbd644c0f57bcb6af22dd5a6dd36
- Affected versionversion=f855691975bb06373a98711e4cfe2c224244b536 <fa6c6c04f6c9b21b315023f487e5a07ae7fcf647
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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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
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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