Remote kernel panic via uninitialized NVMe request
Published Feb 7, 2024 · Updated Nov 6, 2025
NULL pointer dereference in Red Hat Enterprise Linux kernels allows remote attackers to cause a kernel panic with crafted NVMe/TCP packets. The NVMe/TCP receive path reaches __nvmet_req_complete without initializing the request, then dereferences a null request field during completion. The target must be serving NVMe over TCP; a successful request sequence panics the kernel and interrupts the host.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in Red Hat Enterprise Linux kernels allows remote attackers to cause a kernel panic with crafted NVMe/TCP packets. The NVMe/TCP receive path reaches __nvmet_req_complete without initializing the request, then dereferences a null request field during completion. The target must be serving NVMe over TCP; a successful request sequence panics the kernel and interrupts the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-6536
- Published
- Feb 7, 2024
- Updated
- Nov 6, 2025
- Vendor
- Red Hat
- Product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 7, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 6, 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?
Affected versions are unavailable in this record. Check the vendor advisory for version and patch details.
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Syzkaller NVMe-oF/TCP reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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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