CVE-2023-54086

Kernel panic via recursive BPF trampoline attachment

Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025

Denial of service in the Linux kernel BPF verifier allows local users to trigger a kernel panic through a crafted trampoline attachment. The verifier permits trampolines on preempt_count_sub and preempt_count_add even though the recursion guard lowers prog->active before calling them, allowing repeated reentry to exhaust guarded kernel stacks. The trigger requires local access and permission to attach a BPF trampoline; a successful trigger interrupts the host.

CVSS severity6.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in the Linux kernel BPF verifier allows local users to trigger a kernel panic through a crafted trampoline attachment. The verifier permits trampolines on preempt_count_sub and preempt_count_add even though the recursion guard lowers prog->active before calling them, allowing repeated reentry to exhaust guarded kernel stacks. The trigger requires local access and permission to attach a BPF trampoline; a successful trigger interrupts the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54086
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Updated
Dec 24, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <095018267c87b8bfbbb12eeb1c0ebf2359e1782c
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <60039bf72f81638baa28652a11a68e9b0b7b5b2d
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b9168d41b83d182f34ba927ee822edaee18d5fc8
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <c11bd046485d7bf1ca200db0e7d0bdc4bafdd395

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <095018267c87b8bfbbb12eeb1c0ebf2359e1782c; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <60039bf72f81638baa28652a11a68e9b0b7b5b2d; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b9168d41b83d182f34ba927ee822edaee18d5fc8; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <c11bd046485d7bf1ca200db0e7d0bdc4bafdd395

Published CVSS scores

5.5SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.4Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
6.8SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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