Security assessments indicate that CVE-2023-53686 presents a notable risk, potentially requiring prompt mitigation.
Status: Analyzed
Last updated: 🕚 26 Feb 2026, 23:10 UTC
Originally published on: 🕓 07 Oct 2025, 16:15 UTC
Time between publication and last update: 142 days
CVSS Release: version 3
nvd@nist.gov
Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVE-2023-53686: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/handshake: fix null-ptr-deref in handshake_nl_done_doit() We should not call trace_handshake_cmd_done_err() if socket lookup has failed. Also we should call trace_handshake_cmd_done_err() before releasing the file, otherwise dereferencing sock->sk can return garbage. This also reverts 7afc6d0a107f ("net/handshake: Fix uninitialized local variable") Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address dfff800000000003 KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000018-0x000000000000001f] Mem abort info: ESR = 0x0000000096000005 EC = 0x25: DABT (current EL), IL = 32 bits SET = 0, FnV = 0 EA = 0, S1PTW = 0 FSC = 0x05: level 1 translation fault Data abort info: ISV = 0, ISS = 0x00000005, ISS2 = 0x00000000 CM = 0, WnR = 0, TnD = 0, TagAccess = 0 GCS = 0, Overlay = 0, DirtyBit = 0, Xs = 0 [dfff800000000003] address between user and kernel address ranges Internal error: Oops: 0000000096000005 [#1] PREEMPT SMP Modules linked in: CPU: 1 PID: 5986 Comm: syz-executor292 Not tainted 6.5.0-rc7-syzkaller-gfe4469582053 #0 Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 07/26/2023 pstate: 80400005 (Nzcv daif +PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--) pc : handshake_nl_done_doit+0x198/0x9c8 net/handshake/netlink.c:193 lr : handshake_nl_done_doit+0x180/0x9c8 sp : ffff800096e37180 x29: ffff800096e37200 x28: 1ffff00012dc6e34 x27: dfff800000000000 x26: ffff800096e373d0 x25: 0000000000000000 x24: 00000000ffffffa8 x23: ffff800096e373f0 x22: 1ffff00012dc6e38 x21: 0000000000000000 x20: ffff800096e371c0 x19: 0000000000000018 x18: 0000000000000000 x17: 0000000000000000 x16: ffff800080516cc4 x15: 0000000000000001 x14: 1fffe0001b14aa3b x13: 0000000000000000 x12: 0000000000000000 x11: 0000000000000000 x10: 0000000000000000 x9 : 0000000000000003 x8 : 0000000000000003 x7 : ffff800080afe47c x6 : 0000000000000000 x5 : 0000000000000000 x4 : 0000000000000000 x3 : ffff800080a88078 x2 : 0000000000000001 x1 : 00000000ffffffa8 x0 : 0000000000000000 Call trace: handshake_nl_done_doit+0x198/0x9c8 net/handshake/netlink.c:193 genl_family_rcv_msg_doit net/netlink/genetlink.c:970 [inline] genl_family_rcv_msg net/netlink/genetlink.c:1050 [inline] genl_rcv_msg+0x96c/0xc50 net/netlink/genetlink.c:1067 netlink_rcv_skb+0x214/0x3c4 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2549 genl_rcv+0x38/0x50 net/netlink/genetlink.c:1078 netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1339 [inline] netlink_unicast+0x660/0x8d4 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1365 netlink_sendmsg+0x834/0xb18 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1914 sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:725 [inline] sock_sendmsg net/socket.c:748 [inline] ____sys_sendmsg+0x56c/0x840 net/socket.c:2494 ___sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2548 [inline] __sys_sendmsg+0x26c/0x33c net/socket.c:2577 __do_sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2586 [inline] __se_sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2584 [inline] __arm64_sys_sendmsg+0x80/0x94 net/socket.c:2584 __invoke_syscall arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:37 [inline] invoke_syscall+0x98/0x2b8 arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:51 el0_svc_common+0x130/0x23c arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:136 do_el0_svc+0x48/0x58 arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:155 el0_svc+0x58/0x16c arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:678 el0t_64_sync_handler+0x84/0xfc arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:696 el0t_64_sync+0x190/0x194 arch/arm64/kernel/entry.S:591 Code: 12800108 b90043e8 910062b3 d343fe68 (387b6908)
The exploitability of CVE-2023-53686 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
CVE-2023-53686 presents an accessible attack vector with minimal effort required. Restricting access controls and implementing security updates are critical to reducing exploitation risks.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2023-53686, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2023-53686, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
Stay updated with real-time CVE vulnerabilities and take action to secure your systems. Enhance your cybersecurity posture with the latest threat intelligence and mitigation techniques. Develop the skills necessary to defend against CVEs and secure critical infrastructures. Join the top cybersecurity professionals safeguarding today's infrastructures.