Vulnary
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Critical· 9.8official fix available

CVE-2023-53751

A bug in the Linux kernel’s CIFS module could let an attacker free memory that is still in use, potentially crashing the system or allowing code execution. The flaw involves the hostname field of TCP_Server_Info being updated during reconnection. It has been fixed in a kernel update.

publishedDec 8, 2025
last modifiedAug 4, 2026
sourcesNVD
severity · cvss
9.8
critical · how bad it is
exploitation · epss
<1%
30th percentile · chance of exploitation in 30 days
(ai-assisted) A model wrote this summary from the official data, so double-check it against the source before you act on it. Read the official advisory →
auto-deletes from the system
counting…on Sep 3, 2026

An official fix is available, so this entry is kept for 30 days and then removed automatically.

01

Who is affected

Linux kernel, CIFS (Common Internet File System) module – all versions before the patch that fixed the use‑after‑free bug.

02

Real-world impact

An attacker could cause the system to crash or, in the worst case, run arbitrary code, leading to denial of service or privilege escalation.

03

Why this severity

The CVSS score of 9.8 reflects that the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication or user interaction, and it compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

04

What to do about it

official fix available
recommended steps
  1. 01Upgrade your Linux kernel to a version that includes the CIFS use‑after‑free fix.
  2. 02Reboot the system to load the updated kernel.

NVD description

05

Timeline

  1. Dec 8, 2025 · Dec 8, 2025
    Published
    Disclosed and added to the National Vulnerability Database.
  2. Aug 4, 2026 · 1d ago
    Advisory updated
    The NVD record was last revised.
  3. Aug 4, 2026 · 1d ago
    Official fix available
    A vendor patch or mitigation now exists — see the remediation steps above.
06

How it’s attacked

Attack vectorNetwork (remote)
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredNone
User interactionNone needed
ScopeUnchanged
Confidentiality impactHigh
Integrity impactHigh
Availability impactHigh
07

References & advisories

(ai-assisted) A model wrote this summary from the official data, so double-check it against the source before you act on it. Read the official advisory →