CVE-2023-54035 (GCVE-0-2023-54035)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-12-24 10:56 – Updated: 2026-08-05 09:16
VLAI
EPSS
VEX
Title
netfilter: nf_tables: fix underflow in chain reference counter
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: nf_tables: fix underflow in chain reference counter
Set element addition error path decrements reference counter on chains
twice: once on element release and again via nft_data_release().
Then, d6b478666ffa ("netfilter: nf_tables: fix underflow in object
reference counter") incorrectly fixed this by removing the stateful
object reference count decrement.
Restore the stateful object decrement as in b91d90368837 ("netfilter:
nf_tables: fix leaking object reference count") and let
nft_data_release() decrement the chain reference counter, so this is
done only once.
Severity
7.8 (High)
Assigner
References
Impacted products
2 products
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux |
Affected:
35651fde1a7bb54dde0a46d35cd0d7136869ae86 , < b068314fd8ce751a7f906e55bb90f3551815f1a0
(git)
Affected: 628bd3e49cba1c066228e23d71a852c23e26da73 , < 9c959671abc7d4ffdf34eed10c64492d43cb6a3c (git) Affected: 628bd3e49cba1c066228e23d71a852c23e26da73 , < b389139f12f287b8ed2e2628b72df89a081f0b59 (git) Affected: bc9f791d2593f17e39f87c6e2b3a36549a3705b1 (git) Affected: 3c7ec098e3b588434a8b07ea9b5b36f04cef1f50 (git) Affected: a136b7942ad2a50de708f76ea299ccb45ac7a7f9 (git) Affected: 25aa2ad37c2162be1c0bc4fe6397f7e4c13f00f8 (git) Affected: d60be2da67d172aecf866302c91ea11533eca4d9 (git) Affected: dc7cdf8cbcbf8b13de1df93f356ec04cdeef5c41 (git) Affected: 4.19.316 , < 4.20 (semver) Affected: 5.4.262 , < 5.5 (semver) Affected: 5.10.188 , < 5.11 (semver) Affected: 5.15.121 , < 5.16 (semver) Affected: 6.3.10 , < 6.4 (semver) |
guessed | |
| Linux | Linux |
Affected:
6.4
Unaffected: 0 , < 6.4 (semver) Unaffected: 6.4.4 , ≤ 6.4.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.5 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix) |
guessed |
{
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"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c"
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{
"status": "affected",
"version": "25aa2ad37c2162be1c0bc4fe6397f7e4c13f00f8",
"versionType": "git"
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{
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"version": "d60be2da67d172aecf866302c91ea11533eca4d9",
"versionType": "git"
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{
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"version": "dc7cdf8cbcbf8b13de1df93f356ec04cdeef5c41",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
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"status": "affected",
"version": "4.19.316",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
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"status": "affected",
"version": "5.4.262",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
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"status": "affected",
"version": "5.10.188",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
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"status": "affected",
"version": "5.15.121",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
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"status": "affected",
"version": "6.3.10",
"versionType": "semver"
}
]
},
{
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"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c"
],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "6.4"
},
{
"lessThan": "6.4",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "0",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.4.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.4.4",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.5",
"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
}
]
}
],
"cpeApplicability": [
{
"nodes": [
{
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"versionEndExcluding": "6.4.4",
"versionStartIncluding": "6.4",
"vulnerable": true
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{
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{
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{
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"versionStartIncluding": "5.15.121",
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},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionStartIncluding": "6.3.10",
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"descriptions": [
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"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnetfilter: nf_tables: fix underflow in chain reference counter\n\nSet element addition error path decrements reference counter on chains\ntwice: once on element release and again via nft_data_release().\n\nThen, d6b478666ffa (\"netfilter: nf_tables: fix underflow in object\nreference counter\") incorrectly fixed this by removing the stateful\nobject reference count decrement.\n\nRestore the stateful object decrement as in b91d90368837 (\"netfilter:\nnf_tables: fix leaking object reference count\") and let\nnft_data_release() decrement the chain reference counter, so this is\ndone only once."
}
],
"metrics": [
{
"cvssV3_1": {
"baseScore": 7.8,
"baseSeverity": "HIGH",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"version": "3.1"
},
"scenarios": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "AV:L - The vulnerability is reached via the nfnetlink/netlink socket interface (NFT_MSG_NEWSETELEM), a local kernel API with no remote/network reachability.\nAC:L - The attacker deterministically reaches the buggy error path (e.g., inserting a duplicate map element to force -EEXIST) and controls how many times to repeat it; no uncontrolled conditions are involved.\nPR:L - nf_tables requires CAP_NET_ADMIN, but an unprivileged user obtains this in a new network namespace via unshare -Urn, so only low privileges are needed.\nUI:N - The counter underflow and subsequent chain deletion are triggered entirely by the attacker\u0027s own netlink operations, with no victim interaction required.\nS:U - The impact stays within the kernel\u0027s security authority (local privilege escalation), not crossing into a separate security scope such as a hypervisor boundary.\nC:H - The chain refcount underflow leads to a use-after-free of the chain object, letting the attacker reclaim the freed slot and read sensitive kernel memory.\nI:H - The use-after-free provides heap write primitives via reclaiming the freed chain object, enabling arbitrary memory corruption and privilege escalation.\nA:H - Freeing a still-referenced chain leaves dangling pointers that cause use-after-free access and kernel panic/oops."
}
]
}
],
"providerMetadata": {
"dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T09:16:39.727Z",
"orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"shortName": "Linux"
},
"references": [
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"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b068314fd8ce751a7f906e55bb90f3551815f1a0"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9c959671abc7d4ffdf34eed10c64492d43cb6a3c"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b389139f12f287b8ed2e2628b72df89a081f0b59"
}
],
"title": "netfilter: nf_tables: fix underflow in chain reference counter",
"x_generator": {
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}
}
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"assignerShortName": "Linux",
"cveId": "CVE-2023-54035",
"datePublished": "2025-12-24T10:56:02.358Z",
"dateReserved": "2025-12-24T10:53:46.180Z",
"dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T09:16:39.727Z",
"state": "PUBLISHED"
},
"dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
"dataVersion": "5.2",
"vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
"epss": {
"cve": "CVE-2023-54035",
"date": "2026-09-19",
"epss": "0.00141",
"percentile": "0.03836"
},
"nvd": {
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"programFiles": [
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],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
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{
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{
"status": "affected",
"version": "3c7ec098e3b588434a8b07ea9b5b36f04cef1f50",
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{
"status": "affected",
"version": "a136b7942ad2a50de708f76ea299ccb45ac7a7f9",
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"version": "25aa2ad37c2162be1c0bc4fe6397f7e4c13f00f8",
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"version": "d60be2da67d172aecf866302c91ea11533eca4d9",
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"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
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"version": "6.4"
},
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"lessThan": "6.4",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "0",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.4.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.4.4",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.5",
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}
]
}
],
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}
],
"cveTags": [],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnetfilter: nf_tables: fix underflow in chain reference counter\n\nSet element addition error path decrements reference counter on chains\ntwice: once on element release and again via nft_data_release().\n\nThen, d6b478666ffa (\"netfilter: nf_tables: fix underflow in object\nreference counter\") incorrectly fixed this by removing the stateful\nobject reference count decrement.\n\nRestore the stateful object decrement as in b91d90368837 (\"netfilter:\nnf_tables: fix leaking object reference count\") and let\nnft_data_release() decrement the chain reference counter, so this is\ndone only once."
}
],
"id": "CVE-2023-54035",
"lastModified": "2026-08-04T10:19:25.870",
"metrics": {
"cvssMetricV31": [
{
"cvssData": {
"attackComplexity": "LOW",
"attackVector": "LOCAL",
"availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
"baseScore": 7.8,
"baseSeverity": "HIGH",
"confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
"integrityImpact": "HIGH",
"privilegesRequired": "LOW",
"scope": "UNCHANGED",
"userInteraction": "NONE",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"version": "3.1"
},
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"impactScore": 5.9,
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"type": "Secondary"
}
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},
"published": "2025-12-24T11:15:56.490",
"references": [
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},
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"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
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],
"sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"vulnStatus": "Deferred"
}
},
"redhat_vex": {
"aggregate_severity": "Low",
"current_release_date": "2026-08-21T02:37:20+00:00",
"cve": "CVE-2023-54035",
"id": "CVE-2023-54035",
"initial_release_date": "2023-01-01T00:00:00+00:00",
"product_status:fixed": "445",
"product_status:known_affected": "22",
"product_status:known_not_affected": "166",
"source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
"status": "final",
"title": "kernel: netfilter: nf_tables: fix underflow in chain reference counter",
"url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2023/cve-2023-54035.json",
"version": "3"
},
"suse_vex": {
"aggregate_severity": "moderate",
"current_release_date": "2026-08-29T02:04:22Z",
"cve": "CVE-2023-54035",
"id": "CVE-2023-54035",
"initial_release_date": "2025-12-25T00:57:11Z",
"product_status:known_affected": "394",
"product_status:known_not_affected": "457",
"product_status:recommended": "241",
"source": "SUSE CSAF VEX",
"status": "interim",
"title": "SUSE CVE CVE-2023-54035",
"url": "https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/csaf-vex/cve-2023-54035.json",
"version": "32"
}
}
}
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Experimental. This forecast is provided for visualization only and may change without notice. Do not use it for operational decisions.
Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.
Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date | Other |
|---|
Nomenclature
- Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
- Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
- Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
- Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
- Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
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The MITRE ATT&CK techniques below are AI-generated suggestions, inferred from the description of the
vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base
model, served locally by ML-Gateway.
They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.
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Related by attack behaviour
Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.
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