How severe is CVE-2023-46838?

CVE-2023-46838 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-46838 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (64th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-46838?

CVE-2023-46838 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-46838?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

Does CVE-2023-46838 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2023-46838 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-51004.

When was CVE-2023-46838 published?

CVE-2023-46838 was published on 2024-01-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-46838

CVE-2023-46838 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-476.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (64th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2023-51004
Weakness: CWE-476
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2024-01-29
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Transmit requests in Xen's virtual network protocol can consist of multiple parts. While not really useful, except for the initial part any of them may be of zero length, i.e. carry no data at all. Besides a certain initial portion of the to be transferred data, these parts are directly translated into what Linux calls SKB fragments. Such converted request parts can, when for a particular SKB they are all of length zero, lead to a de-reference of NULL in core networking code.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-46838?: Transmit requests in Xen's virtual network protocol can consist of multiple parts. While not really useful, except for the initial part any of them may be of zero length, i.e. carry no data at all. Besides a certain initial portion of the to be transferred data, these parts are directly translated into what Linux calls SKB fragments. Such converted request parts can, when for a particular SKB they are all of length zero, lead to a de-reference of NULL in core networking code.
How severe is CVE-2023-46838?: CVE-2023-46838 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-46838 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (64th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-46838?: CVE-2023-46838 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-46838?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2023-46838 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2023-46838 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-51004.
When was CVE-2023-46838 published?: CVE-2023-46838 was published on 2024-01-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:38:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:39:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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