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CVE-2023-54035 (GCVE-0-2023-54035)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-12-24 10:56 – Updated: 2026-08-05 09:16
VLAI
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.
Impacted 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 Create a notification for this product.
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 Create a notification for this product.
Show details on NVD website

{
  "containers": {
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          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c"
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          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
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              "versionType": "git"
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              "versionType": "git"
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            {
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              "versionType": "git"
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              "versionType": "git"
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              "version": "d60be2da67d172aecf866302c91ea11533eca4d9",
              "versionType": "git"
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              "version": "dc7cdf8cbcbf8b13de1df93f356ec04cdeef5c41",
              "versionType": "git"
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              "status": "affected",
              "version": "4.19.316",
              "versionType": "semver"
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              "versionType": "semver"
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              "versionType": "semver"
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              "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"
            },
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              "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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              "cpeMatch": [
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                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.4.4",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "6.4",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
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        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
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            "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"
      },
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          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b068314fd8ce751a7f906e55bb90f3551815f1a0"
        },
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          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9c959671abc7d4ffdf34eed10c64492d43cb6a3c"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b389139f12f287b8ed2e2628b72df89a081f0b59"
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      "title": "netfilter: nf_tables: fix underflow in chain reference counter",
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  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
    "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",
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      "date": "2026-09-17",
      "epss": "0.00138",
      "percentile": "0.03577"
    },
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    "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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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

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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.
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  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
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