CVE-2023-54006

Local service interruption via AF_UNIX counter race

Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025

Race condition in the Linux kernel allows local users to interrupt service through concurrent AF_UNIX socket activity. In unix_release_sock() in net/unix/af_unix.c, a lockless read of unix_tot_inflight races with writes performed under unix_gc_lock. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and concurrent descriptor attachment and socket release; the published impact is availability loss only.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Race condition in the Linux kernel allows local users to interrupt service through concurrent AF_UNIX socket activity. In unix_release_sock() in net/unix/af_unix.c, a lockless read of unix_tot_inflight races with writes performed under unix_gc_lock. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and concurrent descriptor attachment and socket release; the published impact is availability loss only.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54006
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Updated
Dec 24, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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

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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=2.6.24
  2. Affected versionversion=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <20aa8325464d8905450089eed96ca102a074d853
  3. Affected versionversion=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <2d8933ca863e252fb09ad0be483255e3dfeb1f54
  4. Affected versionversion=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <31b46d5e7c4e295bd112960614a66a177a057dca
  5. Affected versionversion=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <5d91b7891f4a9a9d69d75e9f44ab4bf1f3b11840
  6. Affected versionversion=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <ade32bd8a738d7497ffe9743c46728db26740f78
  7. Affected versionversion=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <afc284a4a781defbb12b2a40427fae34c3d20e17
  8. Affected versionversion=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <cf29b42766ad4af2ae6a449f583796951551b48d
  9. Affected versionversion=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <e5edc6e44a882c0458878ab10eaddfe60ac34e57

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.24; version=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <20aa8325464d8905450089eed96ca102a074d853; version=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <2d8933ca863e252fb09ad0be483255e3dfeb1f54; version=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <31b46d5e7c4e295bd112960614a66a177a057dca; version=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <5d91b7891f4a9a9d69d75e9f44ab4bf1f3b11840; version=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <ade32bd8a738d7497ffe9743c46728db26740f78; version=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <afc284a4a781defbb12b2a40427fae34c3d20e17; version=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <cf29b42766ad4af2ae6a449f583796951551b48d; version=9305cfa4443dbfb99faf35c5603ec0c0e91b5ef8 <e5edc6e44a882c0458878ab10eaddfe60ac34e57

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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

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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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