CVE-2023-54045

Local system panic via unyielding audit PATH processing

Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025

Denial of service in the Linux kernel audit subsystem allows local administrators to panic the system through tracefs or debugfs. The __audit_inode_child() loop processes hundreds or thousands of generated PATH records without yielding CPU time, producing a watchdog-detected soft lockup. Reproduction requires an audit rule and tracing-instance creation under conditions including CONFIG_KASAN enabled with preemption disabled; watchdog policy can then panic the host.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.28%
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

Denial of service in the Linux kernel audit subsystem allows local administrators to panic the system through tracefs or debugfs. The __audit_inode_child() loop processes hundreds or thousands of generated PATH records without yielding CPU time, producing a watchdog-detected soft lockup. Reproduction requires an audit rule and tracing-instance creation under conditions including CONFIG_KASAN enabled with preemption disabled; watchdog policy can then panic the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54045
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Updated
Dec 24, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

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=3.3
  2. Affected versionversion=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <0152e7758cc4e9f8bfba8dbea4438d8e488d6c08
  3. Affected versionversion=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <1640c7bd4eddec6c72f3a99cbb74e333a2ce9f5d
  4. Affected versionversion=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <8a40b491372966ba5426e138a53460985565d5a6
  5. Affected versionversion=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <8e76b944a7b9bddef190ffe2e29c9ae342ab91ed
  6. Affected versionversion=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <98ef243d5900d75a64539a2165745bffbb155d43
  7. Affected versionversion=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <9ca08adb75fb40a8f742c371927ee73f9dc753bf
  8. Affected versionversion=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <b59bc6e37237e37eadf50cd5de369e913f524463
  9. Affected versionversion=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <d061e2bfc20f2914656385816e0d20566213c54c
  10. Affected versionversion=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <f6364fa751d7486502c777f124a14d4d543fc5eb

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.3; version=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <0152e7758cc4e9f8bfba8dbea4438d8e488d6c08; version=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <1640c7bd4eddec6c72f3a99cbb74e333a2ce9f5d; version=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <8a40b491372966ba5426e138a53460985565d5a6; version=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <8e76b944a7b9bddef190ffe2e29c9ae342ab91ed; version=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <98ef243d5900d75a64539a2165745bffbb155d43; version=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <9ca08adb75fb40a8f742c371927ee73f9dc753bf; version=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <b59bc6e37237e37eadf50cd5de369e913f524463; version=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <d061e2bfc20f2914656385816e0d20566213c54c; version=5195d8e217a78697152d64fc09a16e063a022465 <f6364fa751d7486502c777f124a14d4d543fc5eb

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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
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

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