CVE-2023-53338
9.8 · CRITICALOverview
CVE-2023-53338 is a critical-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on September 17, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated CRITICAL. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
Technical Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
lwt: Fix return values of BPF xmit ops
BPF encap ops can return different types of positive values, such like
NET_RX_DROP, NET_XMIT_CN, NETDEV_TX_BUSY, and so on, from function
skb_do_redirect and bpf_lwt_xmit_reroute. At the xmit hook, such return
values would be treated implicitly as LWTUNNEL_XMIT_CONTINUE in
ip(6)_finish_output2. When this happens, skbs that have been freed would
continue to the neighbor subsystem, causing use-after-free bug and
kernel crashes.
To fix the incorrect behavior, skb_do_redirect return values can be
simply discarded, the same as tc-egress behavior. On the other hand,
bpf_lwt_xmit_reroute returns useful errors to local senders, e.g. PMTU
information. Thus convert its return values to avoid the conflict with
LWTUNNEL_XMIT_CONTINUE.
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 4.10, < 5.4.257 | Affected |
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2023-53338?
CVE-2023-53338 is a critical-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on September 17, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).
How severe is CVE-2023-53338?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated CRITICAL. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2023-53338?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2023-53338?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2023-53338 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
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