Local kernel crash via kheaders archive read
Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025
Denial of service in Linux kernel kheaders allows local users to crash the kernel by reading the sysfs header archive. The ikheaders_read path passes the scalar-declared kernel_headers_data symbol to fortified memcpy as though it were a byte array, causing the bounds check to call fortify_panic. Exposure requires the kheaders interface and CONFIG_FORTIFY_SOURCE; reading the archive can panic the running kernel rather than disclose or modify data.
Summary
What happened
Denial of service in Linux kernel kheaders allows local users to crash the kernel by reading the sysfs header archive. The ikheaders_read path passes the scalar-declared kernel_headers_data symbol to fortified memcpy as though it were a byte array, causing the bounds check to call fortify_panic. Exposure requires the kheaders interface and CONFIG_FORTIFY_SOURCE; reading the archive can panic the running kernel rather than disclose or modify data.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-54056
- Published
- Dec 24, 2025
- Updated
- Dec 24, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=43d8ce9d65a54846d378545770991e65838981e0 <4a07d2d511e2703efd4387891d49e0326f1157f3
- Affected versionversion=43d8ce9d65a54846d378545770991e65838981e0 <719459877d58c8aced5845c1e5b98d8d87d09197
- Affected versionversion=43d8ce9d65a54846d378545770991e65838981e0 <82d2e01b95c439fe55fab5e04fc83387c42d3a48
- Affected versionversion=43d8ce9d65a54846d378545770991e65838981e0 <b69edab47f1da8edd8e7bfdf8c70f51a2a5d89fb
- Affected versionversion=43d8ce9d65a54846d378545770991e65838981e0 <b9f6845a492de20679b84bda6b08be347c5819da
- Affected versionversion=43d8ce9d65a54846d378545770991e65838981e0 <d6d1af6b8611801b585c53c0cc63626c8d339e96
- Affected versionversion=43d8ce9d65a54846d378545770991e65838981e0 <fcd2da2e6bf2640a31a2a5b118b50dc3635c707b
- Affected versionversion=5.2
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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