CVE-2023-3338
Memory Safety in Debian Linux 10.0 … 11.0
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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-2023-3338 is a medium-severity NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476) vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux. Its CVSS base score is 6.5 (Medium).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique OS Credential Dumping (T1003); ranked in the top 5% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
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 null pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's DECnet networking protocol implementation, tracked as CVE-2023-3338. The flaw is classified under CWE-476 and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 6.5, reflecting network attack vector, low complexity, and low privileges required to trigger a denial-of-service condition that affects system availability while leaving confidentiality and integrity intact.
An authenticated remote attacker can send specially crafted network traffic to a system with DECnet enabled, causing the kernel to dereference a null pointer and crash. This results in a reboot or loss of service without the need for user interaction or elevated privileges on the target.
Red Hat, Debian, and other distributions have published advisories and backported fixes through their respective kernel update channels, as referenced in the listed Red Hat Bugzilla entry and Debian LTS announcements. The EPSS score rose from lower values after the 2023 disclosure to a peak of 0.1123 in December 2025 before receding to the current 0.0772, indicating later-emerging exploitation interest that warrants renewed attention for affected DECnet deployments.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-44006
Vulnerability Data
A null pointer dereference flaw was found in the Linux kernel's DECnet networking protocol. This issue could allow a remote user to crash 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.