CVE-2023-53426

High

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xsk: Fix xsk_diag use-after-free error during socket cleanup Fix a use-after-free error that is possible if the xsk_diag interface is used after the socket has been unbound from the device. This can happen either due to the socket being closed or the device disappearing. In the early days of AF_XDP, the way we tested that a socket was not bound to a device was to simply check if the netdevice pointer in the xsk socket structure was NULL. Later, a better system was introduced by having an explicit state variable in the xsk socket struct. For example, the state of a socket that is on the way to being closed and has been unbound from the device is XSK_UNBOUND. The commit in the Fixes tag below deleted the old way of signalling that a socket is unbound, setting dev to NULL. This in the belief that all code using the old way had been exterminated. That was unfortunately not true as the xsk diagnostics code was still using the old way and thus does not work as intended when a socket is going down. Fix this by introducing a test against the state variable. If the socket is in the state XSK_UNBOUND, simply abort the diagnostic's netlink operation.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-09-18
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-416

CVE-2023-53426 is a Use After Free vulnerability

What is Use After Free?

The product references memory after it has been freed, which may cause it to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.15.33, 5.16.19, 5.17.2, 5.18 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.15.132, 6.1.54, 6.5.4, 6.6 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.15.33 ≥ 5.16.19 ≥ 5.17.2 ≥ 5.18
Fixed in
✓ 5.15.132 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.54 6.1.x ✓ 6.5.4 6.5.x ✓ 6.6

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2023-53426 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

4 patch commits total View all on NVD

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2023-53426?

    CVE-2023-53426 is a High severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10 , classified as an Use After Free flaw (CWE-416) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.15.33 onward and has been patched in 5.15.132, 6.1.54, 6.5.4 and others. CVE-2023-53426 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2023-53426?

    CVE-2023-53426 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-2023-53426?

    Yes — CVE-2023-53426 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.15.132, 6.1.54, 6.5.4 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.15.33 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2023-53426 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2023-53426 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is Use After Free (CWE-416)?

    The product references memory after it has been freed, which may cause it to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. View CWE-416 on MITRE CWE →

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