CVE-2023-53998

Unspecified impact via unsynchronized virtio-rng data publication

Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025

A data race in the Linux virtio-rng driver allows attackers to cause unspecified impact through concurrent entropy requests and reads. The driver reads data_avail without synchronization while random_recv_done writes it as a new entropy request completes, allowing a reader to race with data publication. Reachability requires the virtio-rng driver and overlapping completion with a subsequent read; the kernel team has not published a concrete security consequence or privilege requirement.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.21%
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

A data race in the Linux virtio-rng driver allows attackers to cause unspecified impact through concurrent entropy requests and reads. The driver reads data_avail without synchronization while random_recv_done writes it as a new entropy request completes, allowing a reader to race with data publication. Reachability requires the virtio-rng driver and overlapping completion with a subsequent read; the kernel team has not published a concrete security consequence or privilege requirement.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53998
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Updated
Dec 24, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
Unavailable
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 24, 2025Record 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=2.6.26
  2. Affected versionversion=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <22c30022cde6e2c88612b3a499223cfa912f1bc7
  3. Affected versionversion=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <241ef15776a7c8505008db689175b320d345ecd3
  4. Affected versionversion=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <2fc91f156b3f3446a1bce80cf4adedcbf41271c2
  5. Affected versionversion=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <318657b4c2077289659f1cd9e2a34f6a3b208e3e
  6. Affected versionversion=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <77471e4912d3960dafe141e268c44be8024fe4dc
  7. Affected versionversion=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <a43bcb0b661cbbf3ad797d2aee6b6fd06b8fc69d
  8. Affected versionversion=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <ac52578d6e8d300dd50f790f29a24169b1edd26c
  9. Affected versionversion=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <c76d991b6f01a5d931e7053a73bc9524975a5215

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorUnavailable in this record.
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.26; version=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <22c30022cde6e2c88612b3a499223cfa912f1bc7; version=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <241ef15776a7c8505008db689175b320d345ecd3; version=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <2fc91f156b3f3446a1bce80cf4adedcbf41271c2; version=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <318657b4c2077289659f1cd9e2a34f6a3b208e3e; version=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <77471e4912d3960dafe141e268c44be8024fe4dc; version=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <a43bcb0b661cbbf3ad797d2aee6b6fd06b8fc69d; version=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <ac52578d6e8d300dd50f790f29a24169b1edd26c; version=f7f510ec195781c857ab76366a3e1c59e1caae42 <c76d991b6f01a5d931e7053a73bc9524975a5215

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
VectorUnavailable
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

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