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Response snapshot Oct 28, 2026, 20:06 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2023-53698

Linux kernel: xsk: fix refcount underflow in error path

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xsk: fix refcount underflow in error path Fix a refcount underflow problem reported by syzbot that can happen when a system is running out of memory.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
7.8 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
Not estimated
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2023-53698 (opens a new tab)

What happened

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

xsk: fix refcount underflow in error path

Fix a refcount underflow problem reported by syzbot that can happen when a system is running out of memory. If xp_alloc_tx_descs() fails, and it can only fail due to not having enough memory, then the error path is triggered. In this error path, the refcount of the pool is decremented as it has incremented before. However, the reference to the pool in the socket was not nulled.

This means that when the socket is closed later, the socket teardown logic will think that there is a pool attached to the socket and try to decrease the refcount again, leading to a refcount underflow.

Continue reading

I chose this fix as it involved adding just a single line. Another option would have been to move xp_get_pool() and the assignment of xs->pool to after the if-statement and using xs_umem->pool instead of xs->pool in the whole if-statement resulting in somewhat simpler code, but this would have led to much more churn in the code base perhaps making it harder to backport.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

7.8

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

Not available

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2023-53698 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 28). Linux kernel: xsk: fix refcount underflow in error path (CVE-2023-53698). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2023-53698

MLA

"Linux kernel: xsk: fix refcount underflow in error path (CVE-2023-53698)." KEVWire, 28 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2023-53698.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: xsk: fix refcount underflow in error path (CVE-2023-53698)." Last modified October 28, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2023-53698.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: xsk: fix refcount underflow in error path (Oct 22, 2025).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

xsk: fix refcount underflow in error path

Fix a refcount underflow problem reported by syzbot that can happen
when a system is running out of memory. If xp_alloc_tx_descs() fails,
and it can only fail due to not having enough memory, then the error
path is triggered. In this error path, the refcount of the pool is
decremented as it has incremented before. However, the reference to
the pool in the socket was not nulled.
CVSS 7.8 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 28, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53698).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2023-53698: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53698
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-28T18:31:08.168Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-28T20:05:58.019Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-28T17:55:58.678Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-28T19:30:56.852Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
Record ID: CVE-2023-53698.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 28, 2026, 20:05 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Deferred. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

Record JSON

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Record details

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