CVE-2023-53331

High

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pstore/ram: Check start of empty przs during init After commit 30696378f68a ("pstore/ram: Do not treat empty buffers as valid"), initialization would assume a prz was valid after seeing that the buffer_size is zero (regardless of the buffer start position). This unchecked start value means it could be outside the bounds of the buffer, leading to future access panics when written to: sysdump_panic_event+0x3b4/0x5b8 atomic_notifier_call_chain+0x54/0x90 panic+0x1c8/0x42c die+0x29c/0x2a8 die_kernel_fault+0x68/0x78 __do_kernel_fault+0x1c4/0x1e0 do_bad_area+0x40/0x100 do_translation_fault+0x68/0x80 do_mem_abort+0x68/0xf8 el1_da+0x1c/0xc0 __raw_writeb+0x38/0x174 __memcpy_toio+0x40/0xac persistent_ram_update+0x44/0x12c persistent_ram_write+0x1a8/0x1b8 ramoops_pstore_write+0x198/0x1e8 pstore_console_write+0x94/0xe0 ... To avoid this, also check if the prz start is 0 during the initialization phase. If not, the next prz sanity check case will discover it (start > size) and zap the buffer back to a sane state. [kees: update commit log with backtrace and clarifications]

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-09-16
Last modified 2026-01-14
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

7.8

out of 10
High
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-787

CVE-2023-53331 is a Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability

What is Out-of-bounds Write?

The product writes data past the end or before the beginning of the intended buffer. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 4.14.96, 4.19.18, 3.18.133, 4.4.172, 4.9.153, 4.20.5, 5.0 and later are affected. Fixed in 4.14.326, 4.19.295, 5.4.257, 5.10.195, 5.15.132, 6.1.53, 6.4.16, 6.5.3, 6.6 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 4.14.96 ≥ 4.19.18 ≥ 3.18.133 ≥ 4.4.172 ≥ 4.9.153 ≥ 4.20.5 ≥ 5.0
Fixed in
✓ 4.14.326 4.14.x ✓ 4.19.295 4.19.x ✓ 5.4.257 5.4.x ✓ 5.10.195 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.132 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.53 6.1.x ✓ 6.4.16 6.4.x ✓ 6.5.3 6.5.x ✓ 6.6

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2023-53331 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2023-53331?

    CVE-2023-53331 is a High severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10 , classified as an Out-of-bounds Write flaw (CWE-787) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 4.14.96 onward and has been patched in 4.14.326, 4.19.295, 5.4.257 and others. CVE-2023-53331 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2023-53331?

    CVE-2023-53331 has a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10, rated High severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2023-53331?

    Yes — CVE-2023-53331 has been patched. Fixed versions include 4.14.326, 4.19.295, 5.4.257 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 4.14.96 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2023-53331 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2023-53331 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787)?

    The product writes data past the end or before the beginning of the intended buffer. View CWE-787 on MITRE CWE →