Kernel crash or disclosure via SMB length parsing
Published Dec 8, 2023 · Updated Nov 8, 2025
Out-of-bounds read in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux kernel allows local users to crash the system or read internal kernel data. smbCalcSize trusts an SMB1 header's WordCount when locating the byte-count field, then reads a 16-bit value from that calculated pointer without confirming that the field lies inside the received frame. Low-privileged local access and a loaded CIFS client path are required; exploitation causes a kernel crash or discloses adjacent kernel memory.
Summary
What happened
Out-of-bounds read in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux kernel allows local users to crash the system or read internal kernel data. smbCalcSize trusts an SMB1 header's WordCount when locating the byte-count field, then reads a 16-bit value from that calculated pointer without confirming that the field lies inside the received frame. Low-privileged local access and a loaded CIFS client path are required; exploitation causes a kernel crash or discloses adjacent kernel memory.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-6606
- Published
- Dec 8, 2023
- Updated
- Nov 8, 2025
- Vendor
- Red Hat
- Product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Classifications
- CWE-125
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 8, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 8, 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?
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
- Kernel Bugzilla proof-of-concept report for bug 218218proof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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