xsk: Fix xsk_diag use-after-free error during socket cleanup
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
- Partial Red Hat: 5 fixed, 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-416 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
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.
Why it matters now
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 | 5.15.33 to before 5.15.132; 5.16.19 to before 5.17; 5.17.2 to before 5.18 | 5.15.132, 5.17, 5.18 | Patch available | CNA |
| Linux | Linux | 5.18 and later | 5.15.132, 6.1.54, 6.5.4, 6.6 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.15.33 to before 5.15.132; 5.16.19 to before 5.17; 5.17.2 to before 5.18 Fixed in 5.15.132, 5.17, 5.18 Patch available CNA
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.18 and later Fixed in 5.15.132, 6.1.54, 6.5.4, 6.6 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.15.33 to before 5.15.132; 5.16.19 to before 5.17; 5.17.2 to before 6.1.54; 6.2 to before 6.5.4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.15.33 to before 5.15.132; 5.16.19 to before 5.17; 5.17.2 to before 6.1.54; 6.2 to before 6.5.4 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.15.132, 5.17, 5.18
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.15.132, 6.1.54, 6.5.4, 6.6
Red Hat 1 advisory
- RHSA-2025:20518 Released 2025-11-11 · Red Hat rating Moderatekernel security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) kernel-64k-debug-devel-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-64k-devel-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7 +12
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) kernel-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-64k-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-64k-core-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7 +28
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) kernel-tools-libs-devel-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, libperf-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-64k-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-64k-core-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7 +21
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7 +9
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:20518 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:20518 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:20518 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:20518 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:20518 |
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-53426
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-26wc-246g-r3wf
References
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-2023-53426 · CVE Program
- CVE-2023-53426 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-26wc-246g-r3wf · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2023-53426 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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