Vulnerability · Published Sep 17, 2025 · Assigned by Linux
CVE-2023-53338lwt: Fix return values of BPF xmit ops
Critical 9.8
In plain English
A critical-severity use-after-free in Linux from Linux. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.6% (higher than 46% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.
Official 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.
Affected packages & fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | linux | 6.1.55-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Debian:13 | linux | 6.5.3-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Debian:14 | linux | 6.5.3-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux | 5.15.0-94.104 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-allwinner-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-aws | 5.15.0-1053.58 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-aws-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-aws-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-aws-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure | 5.15.0-1056.64 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-azure-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-fde | 5.15.0-1056.64.1 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-fde-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-fde-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gcp | 5.15.0-1051.59 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gcp-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-gcp-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gcp-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gcp-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gke | 5.15.0-1050.55 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gkeop | 5.15.0-1036.42 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-hwe-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-hwe-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-hwe-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-hwe-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-ibm | 5.15.0-1046.49 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-intel | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-intel-iot-realtime | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-intel-iotg | 5.15.0-1047.53 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-kvm | 5.15.0-1050.55 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency | 5.15.0-94.104 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia | 5.15.0-1044.44 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra | 5.15.0-1022.22 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra-igx | 5.15.0-1009.9 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oem-5.17 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.0 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.1 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.8 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oracle | 5.15.0-1051.57 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oracle-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-raspi | 5.15.0-1046.49 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-raspi-realtime | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-realtime | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-realtime | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-riscv | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-riscv | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-riscv-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-riscv-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-starfive-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-starfive-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-starfive-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-xilinx-zynqmp | 5.15.0-1027.31 | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53338 |
Affected products (as reported)
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 – before 67f8f2bae8e7ac72e09def2b667e44704c4d1ee13a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 – before a97f221651fcdc891166e9bc270e3d9bfa5a00803a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 – before e3f647e4b642f9f6d32795a16f92c116c138d2af3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 – before 065d5f17096ec9161180e2c890afdff4dc6125f23a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 – before d68c17402442f5f494a2c3ebde5cb82f6aa9160a3a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 – before 65583f9e070db7bece20710cfa2e3daeb0b831d93a0af8fd61f90920f6fa04e4f1e9a6a73c1b4fd2 – before 29b22badb7a84b783e3a4fffca16f7768fb31205 |
| Linux | Linux | 4.10 |
Weakness: CWE-416 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/67f8f2bae8e7ac72e09def2b667e44704c4d1ee1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a97f221651fcdc891166e9bc270e3d9bfa5a0080
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e3f647e4b642f9f6d32795a16f92c116c138d2af
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/065d5f17096ec9161180e2c890afdff4dc6125f2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d68c17402442f5f494a2c3ebde5cb82f6aa9160a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/65583f9e070db7bece20710cfa2e3daeb0b831d9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/29b22badb7a84b783e3a4fffca16f7768fb31205