CVE-2023-2156
Linux Kernel 5.7 – 5.10.184
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HSummary
CVE-2023-2156 is a high-severity Reachable Assertion (CWE-617) vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Application or System Exploitation (T1499.004); ranked in the top 7% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
A flaw exists in the Linux kernel's networking subsystem related to handling of the RPL protocol. The issue stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied data, which triggers an assertion failure classified under CWE-617. This affects the kernel's ability to process certain network inputs safely and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.5 with network attack vector and high availability impact.
An unauthenticated remote attacker can send crafted packets that reach the vulnerable RPL code path, causing the kernel to hit the assertion and crash the system. The result is a denial-of-service condition that requires no privileges or user interaction on the target.
Public references on oss-security mailing lists and the Red Hat Bugzilla entry for this issue provide additional technical discussion and coordination details for downstream distributions.
The EPSS score rose materially from a low baseline to a peak of 0.2963 on 2025-01-22 before receding, indicating that exploitation interest developed after the original disclosure and that the CVE merits renewed attention.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-33674
Vulnerability Data
A flaw was found in the networking subsystem of the Linux kernel within the handling of the RPL protocol. This issue results from the lack of proper handling of user-supplied data, which can lead to an assertion failure. This may…
more
allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to create a denial of service condition on the system.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
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.
Secure SDLC practices directly prevent unsafe assertions from being coded in reachable paths.
Runtime monitoring of software can detect assertion-triggered crashes as adverse events.
Vulnerability identification processes can discover and record reachable-assertion flaws before deployment.
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.
Security testing in development can detect reachable assertions before release, reducing the likelihood of exploitation.
Secure development lifecycle mandates defensive coding and input validation that prevent reachable assertions from being triggered by untrusted data.
Application security requirements can specify that assertions must not be reachable from attacker-controlled inputs.
Secure architecture principles discourage the use of assertions for runtime error handling that an attacker could exploit.
Secure coding standards explicitly ban the use of assert() or equivalent statements that can be triggered by external input.