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-2023-32248 is a high-severity NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476) vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique OS Credential Dumping (T1003); ranked in the top 10% 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.
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.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-36505
Vulnerability Data
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
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 (static analysis, code review, safe coding standards) directly prevent NULL dereference bugs during development.
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.