CVE-2023-0881
Canonical Linux-Bluefield ≤ 5.4.0-1058.64
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2023-0881 is a high-severity Improper Input Validation (CWE-20) vulnerability in Canonical Linux-Bluefield. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique OS Credential Dumping (T1003); ranked at the 36th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2023-0881 is a denial-of-service vulnerability in the linux-bluefield kernel package, where running a DDoS attack on TCP port 22 triggers a kernel crash. The issue stems from an incomplete backport of a commit related to nft_lookup, lacking subsequent fixes that address the problem. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H) and is associated with CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) and CWE-1333 (Inefficient Complicated Loop).
Any unauthenticated attacker with network access can exploit this vulnerability by launching a DDoS attack targeting TCP port 22, causing a complete kernel crash and disrupting system availability without requiring privileges or user interaction.
The Ubuntu Launchpad bug report for linux-bluefield (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-bluefield/+bug/2006397) details the resolution, which involves applying the missing commits from the original nft_lookup fixes to the linux-bluefield package, effectively patching the vulnerability.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-12870
Vulnerability Data
Running DDoS on tcp port 22 will trigger a kernel crash. This issue is introduced by the backport of a commit regarding nft_lookup without the subsequent fixes that were introduced after this commit. The resolution of this CVE introduces those…
more
commits to the linux-bluefield package.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Developer testing and evaluation can discover missing input validation through analysis or test cases.
SI-10 directly requires validity checks on information inputs, structurally preventing improper or missing validation.
Requiring documented development standards and tools can embed input-validation practices into the engineering process.
Denial-of-service protections limit resource exhaustion caused by expensive regex evaluation.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Hardening callouts derived
DISA STIG baselines are authored against specific weaknesses. Where this CVE cites a broad weakness class, the mapping is not asserted at that abstraction (owner ruling, 2026-09-25: grade only at Base and below), so no rule is shown here rather than a rule shown against the wrong grain.
- No fine-grained STIG row for CWE-20, a class-level weakness, and none of its children carries one either.