CVE-2023-54146

Kernel crash via duplicate ELF-header free

Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025

Double-free in x86 kexec in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel through an error during crash-image segment loading. The crash_load_segments() error path frees image->elf_headers, but later cleanup frees the same uncleared pointer again. Reachability requires local access and permission to initiate crash-kernel loading; successful triggering can corrupt kernel memory and interrupt the host.

CVSS severity5.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

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Summary

What happened

Double-free in x86 kexec in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel through an error during crash-image segment loading. The crash_load_segments() error path frees image->elf_headers, but later cleanup frees the same uncleared pointer again. Reachability requires local access and permission to initiate crash-kernel loading; successful triggering can corrupt kernel memory and interrupt the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54146
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=115ee42a4c2f26ba2b4ace2668a3f004621f6833
  2. Affected versionversion=23cf39dccf7653650701a6f39b119e9116a27f1a <4c71a552b97fb4f46eb300224434fe56fcf4f254
  3. Affected versionversion=5.19
  4. Affected versionversion=8765a423a87d74ef24ea02b43b2728fe4039f248 <554a880a1fff46dd5a355dec21cd77d542a0ddf2
  5. Affected versionversion=b3e34a47f98974d0844444c5121aaff123004e57 <5bd3c7abeb69fb4133418b846a1c6dc11313d6f0
  6. Affected versionversion=b3e34a47f98974d0844444c5121aaff123004e57 <d00dd2f2645dca04cf399d8fc692f3f69b6dd996
  7. Affected versionversion=b3e34a47f98974d0844444c5121aaff123004e57 <fbdbf8ac333d3d47c0d9ea81d7d445654431d100
  8. Affected versionversion=f675e3a9189d84a9324ab45b0cb19906c2bc8fcb

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=115ee42a4c2f26ba2b4ace2668a3f004621f6833; version=23cf39dccf7653650701a6f39b119e9116a27f1a <4c71a552b97fb4f46eb300224434fe56fcf4f254; version=5.19; version=8765a423a87d74ef24ea02b43b2728fe4039f248 <554a880a1fff46dd5a355dec21cd77d542a0ddf2; version=b3e34a47f98974d0844444c5121aaff123004e57 <5bd3c7abeb69fb4133418b846a1c6dc11313d6f0; version=b3e34a47f98974d0844444c5121aaff123004e57 <d00dd2f2645dca04cf399d8fc692f3f69b6dd996; version=b3e34a47f98974d0844444c5121aaff123004e57 <fbdbf8ac333d3d47c0d9ea81d7d445654431d100; version=f675e3a9189d84a9324ab45b0cb19906c2bc8fcb

Published CVSS scores

5.8SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
6.3SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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)
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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