CVE-2023-54090Network attack vector

System panic via unbounded XDP transmit-ring index

Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025

Out-of-bounds access in the Linux ixgbe driver from 5.16 allows remote attackers to crash the kernel via traffic to an XDP_TX interface. ixgbe_free_q_vector repeatedly decrements ixgbe_xdp_locking_key during ring reconfiguration, so ixgbe_determine_xdp_q_idx returns an unbounded CPU index instead of CPU modulo 64 and indexes past the 64-entry transmit-ring array. The host must have more than 64 CPUs, use an ixgbe adapter, and have an XDP program attached; packets handled above CPU 63 can panic the kernel and corrupt kernel memory.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability0.57%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Out-of-bounds access in the Linux ixgbe driver from 5.16 allows remote attackers to crash the kernel via traffic to an XDP_TX interface. ixgbe_free_q_vector repeatedly decrements ixgbe_xdp_locking_key during ring reconfiguration, so ixgbe_determine_xdp_q_idx returns an unbounded CPU index instead of CPU modulo 64 and indexes past the 64-entry transmit-ring array. The host must have more than 64 CPUs, use an ixgbe adapter, and have an XDP program attached; packets handled above CPU 63 can panic the kernel and corrupt kernel memory.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54090
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Updated
Dec 24, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

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=4fe815850bdc8d4cc94e06fe1de069424a895826 <1924450175349e64f8dfc3689efcb653dba0418e
  2. Affected versionversion=4fe815850bdc8d4cc94e06fe1de069424a895826 <4cd43a19900d0b98c1ec4bb6984763369d2e19ec
  3. Affected versionversion=4fe815850bdc8d4cc94e06fe1de069424a895826 <785b2b5b47b1aa4c31862948b312ea845401c5ec
  4. Affected versionversion=4fe815850bdc8d4cc94e06fe1de069424a895826 <c23ae5091a8b3e50fe755257df020907e7c029bb
  5. Affected versionversion=5.16

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4fe815850bdc8d4cc94e06fe1de069424a895826 <1924450175349e64f8dfc3689efcb653dba0418e; version=4fe815850bdc8d4cc94e06fe1de069424a895826 <4cd43a19900d0b98c1ec4bb6984763369d2e19ec; version=4fe815850bdc8d4cc94e06fe1de069424a895826 <785b2b5b47b1aa4c31862948b312ea845401c5ec; version=4fe815850bdc8d4cc94e06fe1de069424a895826 <c23ae5091a8b3e50fe755257df020907e7c029bb; version=5.16

Published CVSS scores

9.8LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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