CVE-2023-32248
Published: 24 July 2023
Summary
CVE-2023-32248 is a high-severity NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476) vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, ranked at the 30.0th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
Deeper analysis
CVE-2023-32248 is a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability (CWE-476) in the Linux kernel's ksmbd in-kernel SMB server. The flaw occurs during handling of SMB2_TREE_CONNECT and SMB2_QUERY_INFO commands due to missing validation of a pointer before it is dereferenced, allowing an attacker to trigger a crash.
An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit the issue over the network by sending specially crafted SMB2 requests, resulting in a denial-of-service condition that affects system availability. The vulnerability carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.5 with network attack vector, low complexity, and no required privileges or user interaction.
Vendor advisories from Red Hat and NetApp, along with the Zero Day Initiative report, indicate that affected systems should be updated with the patches referenced in the linked security bulletins to address the pointer-handling defect.
The EPSS score rose materially from a low baseline to a peak of 0.0914 on 2025-01-22 before receding, indicating increased exploitation interest well after the July 2023 disclosure.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-36505
Vulnerability details
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's ksmbd, a high-performance in-kernel SMB server. The specific flaw exists within the handling of SMB2_TREE_CONNECT and SMB2_QUERY_INFO commands. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a pointer prior to…
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accessing it. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to create a denial-of-service condition on the system.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
No mitigating controls mapped yet. The per-CVE control annotator has not reached this CVE.