CVE-2023-54321

Kernel crash via unbound driver detachment

Published Dec 30, 2025 · Updated Dec 30, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux driver core allows local users to crash the kernel during a failed device_add operation. After bus_add_device succeeds but dpm_sysfs_add fails, device_add leaves dev->driver set and bus_remove_device removes an uninitialized knode_driver. Reaching the fault requires local privileges and a device-registration failure before device_bind_driver runs, with availability as the bounded impact.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.15%
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

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux driver core allows local users to crash the kernel during a failed device_add operation. After bus_add_device succeeds but dpm_sysfs_add fails, device_add leaves dev->driver set and bus_remove_device removes an uninitialized knode_driver. Reaching the fault requires local privileges and a device-registration failure before device_bind_driver runs, with availability as the bounded impact.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54321
Published
Dec 30, 2025
Updated
Dec 30, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 30, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 30, 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=2.6.26
  2. Affected versionversion=57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba <17982304806c5c10924e73f7ca5556e0d7378452
  3. Affected versionversion=57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba <2c59650d078b1b3f1ea50d5f8ee9fcc537dc02d3
  4. Affected versionversion=57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba <7cf515bf9e8c2908dc170ecf2df117162a16c9c5
  5. Affected versionversion=57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba <f6837f34a34973ef6600c08195ed300e24e97317

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.26; version=57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba <17982304806c5c10924e73f7ca5556e0d7378452; version=57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba <2c59650d078b1b3f1ea50d5f8ee9fcc537dc02d3; version=57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba <7cf515bf9e8c2908dc170ecf2df117162a16c9c5; version=57eee3d23e8833ca18708b374c648235691942ba <f6837f34a34973ef6600c08195ed300e24e97317

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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.

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

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application 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

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