CVE-2023-32258
Published: 24 July 2023
Summary
CVE-2023-32258 is a high-severity Race Condition (CWE-362) vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel. Its CVSS base score is 8.1 (High).
Operationally, ranked at the 28.5th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
Deeper analysis
CVE-2023-32258 is a race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ksmbd component, an in-kernel SMB server. The flaw occurs during handling of SMB2_LOGOFF and SMB2_CLOSE commands due to missing proper locking on affected objects and is tracked under CWE-362 and CWE-667. Successful exploitation grants an attacker the ability to execute arbitrary code within the kernel context.
The vulnerability can be reached over the network by an unauthenticated attacker without user interaction. Although the CVSS vector indicates high attack complexity, successful exploitation yields full control over kernel execution, confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the target system.
Public advisories from Red Hat, NetApp, and the Zero Day Initiative document the issue and point to corresponding kernel updates that address the locking deficiency in ksmbd.
EPSS for this CVE rose materially from a low baseline to a peak of 0.0737 in January 2025 before receding, indicating that exploitation interest increased well after the original disclosure.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-36515
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_LOGOFF and SMB2_CLOSE commands. The issue results from the lack of proper locking when performing operations on an…
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object. An 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.