CVE-2023-32254
Published: 10 July 2023
Summary
CVE-2023-32254 is a critical-severity Race Condition (CWE-362) vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, ranked at the 25.0th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
Deeper analysis
A flaw exists in the Linux kernel's ksmbd component, an in-kernel SMB server, specifically in the handling of SMB2_TREE_DISCONNECT commands. The root cause is a race condition (CWE-362) stemming from missing locking during object operations, which can be triggered over the network and yields arbitrary code execution inside the kernel. The vulnerability received a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8.
Unauthenticated remote attackers can exploit the issue without user interaction by sending crafted SMB2 requests to an affected ksmbd instance. Successful exploitation grants kernel-level code execution, allowing full compromise of the host system.
Public advisories from Red Hat, NetApp, and the Zero Day Initiative document the flaw and point to available fixes in the upstream kernel and vendor distributions.
EPSS for the CVE rose from a low baseline to a peak of 0.0788 on 2025-01-22 before receding, indicating measurable post-disclosure exploitation interest that later subsided.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-36511
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 processing of SMB2_TREE_DISCONNECT commands. The issue results from the lack of proper locking when performing operations on an object. An…
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attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the kernel.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Accurate timestamps from internal clocks enable detection of race conditions by providing reliable event ordering in audit logs.
Coordination of concurrent security activities reduces the probability that shared resources will be accessed simultaneously without proper synchronization.