Use after free in Linux Kernel
Priority MEDIUM 40CWE-416Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-416 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
Linux Kernel nftables Use-After-Free Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability; `nft_chain_lookup_byid()` failed to check whether a chain was active and CAP_NET_ADMIN is in any user or network namespace
Why it matters now
Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.0189 79th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed Red Hat: 6 advisories
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux Kernel | v5.9-rc1 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- Linux Kernel VendorLinux Affected v5.9-rc1 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 9
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.9 to before 5.10.188; 5.11 to before 5.15.121; 5.16 to before 6.1.39; 6.2 to before 6.4.4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:37:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 37 | Vulnerable | Fedoraproject |
| cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:38:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 38 | Vulnerable | Fedoraproject |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 11.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:* | 14.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:* | 16.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 18.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 20.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:22.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 22.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.9 to before 5.10.188; 5.11 to before 5.15.121; 5.16 to before 6.1.39; 6.2 to before 6.4.4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:37:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 37 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:38:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 38 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 11.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:* Versions 14.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:* Versions 16.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 18.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 20.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:22.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 22.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
Remediation
Red Hat 6 advisories
- RHSA-2023:5604 Released 2023-10-10 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel security and bug fix update
- Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder EUS (v.9.0) kernel-tools-libs-devel-5.14.0-70.75.1.el9_0
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.0) kernel-debug-devel-5.14.0-70.75.1.el9_0, kernel-debug-devel-matched-5.14.0-70.75.1.el9_0, kernel-devel-5.14.0-70.75.1.el9_0 +5
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.9.0) bpftool-5.14.0-70.75.1.el9_0, kernel-5.14.0-70.75.1.el9_0, kernel-abi-stablelists-5.14.0-70.75.1.el9_0 +14
- RHSA-2023:5603 Released 2023-10-10 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel-rt security and bug fix update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time EUS (v.9.0) kernel-rt-5.14.0-70.75.1.rt21.146.el9_0, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-70.75.1.rt21.146.el9_0, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-70.75.1.rt21.146.el9_0 +7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV EUS (v.9.0) kernel-rt-5.14.0-70.75.1.rt21.146.el9_0, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-70.75.1.rt21.146.el9_0, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-70.75.1.rt21.146.el9_0 +9
- RHSA-2023:5575 Released 2023-10-10 · Red Hat rating Importantkpatch-patch security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.9.0) kpatch-patch-5_14_0-70_49_1-1-6.el9_0, kpatch-patch-5_14_0-70_50_2-1-5.el9_0, kpatch-patch-5_14_0-70_53_1-1-4.el9_0 +3
Show 3 more Red Hat advisories
- RHSA-2023:5069 Released 2023-09-12 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) kernel-64k-debug-devel-5.14.0-284.30.1.el9_2, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-5.14.0-284.30.1.el9_2, kernel-64k-devel-5.14.0-284.30.1.el9_2 +10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) bpftool-7.0.0-284.30.1.el9_2, kernel-5.14.0-284.30.1.el9_2, kernel-64k-5.14.0-284.30.1.el9_2 +29
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 9) kernel-tools-libs-devel-5.14.0-284.30.1.el9_2
- RHSA-2023:5093 Released 2023-09-12 · Red Hat rating Importantkpatch-patch security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_11_1-1-5.el9_2, kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_18_1-1-4.el9_2, kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_25_1-1-3.el9_2
- RHSA-2023:5091 Released 2023-09-12 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel-rt security and bug fix update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-284.30.1.rt14.315.el9_2, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-284.30.1.rt14.315.el9_2, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-284.30.1.rt14.315.el9_2 +11
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux RT (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-284.30.1.rt14.315.el9_2, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-284.30.1.rt14.315.el9_2, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-284.30.1.rt14.315.el9_2 +9
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder EUS (v.9.0) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:5604 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:5069 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.0) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:5604 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:5069, RHSA-2023:5093 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.9.0) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:5575, RHSA-2023:5604 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:5069 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux NFV (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:5091 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux RT (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:5091 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time EUS (v.9.0) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:5603 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV EUS (v.9.0) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:5603 |
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9)
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-31248
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-vr3g-637q-4rh6
References
Advisory 5
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/05/2
- https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5453
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/173757/Kernel-Live-Patch-Security-Notice-LSN-0096-1.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/08/msg00001.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174577/Kernel-Live-Patch-Security-Notice-LSN-0097-1.html
Other 4
- https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/05/2
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/UPHI46ROSSLVAV4R5LJWJYU747JGOS6D/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/RGZC5XOANA75OJ4XARBBXYSLDKUIJI5E/
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240201-0001/
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2023-31248 · CVE Program
- CVE-2023-31248 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-vr3g-637q-4rh6 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2023-31248 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences