CVE-2023-53116 – This is a use-after-free vulnerability in the L... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-53116?

CVE-2023-53116 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). This is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's NVMe over Fabrics target subsystem. An attacker could potentially exploit this to cause kernel crashes, privilege escalation, or arbitrary code execution. Systems using NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF) with affected kernel versions are vulnerable.

📋 TL;DR

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's NVMe over Fabrics target subsystem. An attacker could potentially exploit this to cause kernel crashes, privilege escalation, or arbitrary code execution. Systems using NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF) with affected kernel versions are vulnerable.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific affected versions not explicitly stated in CVE, but patches exist for multiple stable branches (see references).

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using vulnerable kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable if NVMe over Fabrics (nvmet) subsystem is enabled and in use. Not all Linux systems use this feature.

📦 What is this software?

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Kernel panic leading to system crash, or privilege escalation allowing full system compromise.

🟠

Likely Case

System instability, crashes, or denial of service affecting NVMe-oF storage operations.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if NVMe-oF is not enabled or properly isolated from untrusted networks.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - NVMe-oF typically operates on internal storage networks, not directly internet-facing.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Requires access to NVMe-oF storage network, but could be exploited by malicious insiders or compromised internal systems.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: HIGH

Exploitation requires access to NVMe-oF storage network and ability to trigger specific queue_response operations. No public exploits known at this time.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Multiple stable kernel versions with fixes (see git.kernel.org references in CVE)

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6173a77b7e9d3e202bdb9897b23f2a8afe7bf286

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution vendor. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable NVMe-oF target subsystem

linux

If NVMe over Fabrics is not required, disable the nvmet subsystem to eliminate attack surface.

modprobe -r nvmet
echo 'blacklist nvmet' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Isolate NVMe-oF storage network from untrusted systems and users.
Implement strict access controls and monitoring on NVMe-oF storage infrastructure.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if nvmet module is loaded: lsmod | grep nvmet. Check kernel version against patched versions.

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version after update matches patched version. Confirm nvmet module loads without issues.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic logs
OOM killer messages related to nvmet
System crashes during NVMe-oF operations

Network Indicators:

Unusual NVMe-oF traffic patterns
Connection attempts to NVMe-oF ports from unauthorized sources

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops" OR "BUG") AND "nvmet"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-53116

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-416

EPSS Score: 0.02% exploit probability (5.9th percentile)

Published: May 2, 2025

Last Updated: November 10, 2025

🔗 References

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