How severe is CVE-2023-53116?

CVE-2023-53116 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-53116 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (41st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-53116?

CVE-2023-53116 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-53116?

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

Does CVE-2023-53116 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2023-53116 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-13149.

When was CVE-2023-53116 published?

CVE-2023-53116 was published on 2025-05-02 and last updated on 2026-08-04.

CVE-2023-53116

CVE-2023-53116 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. 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-416.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (41st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2025-13149
Weakness: CWE-416
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2025-05-02
Last modified: 2026-08-04

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvmet: avoid potential UAF in nvmet_req_complete() An nvme target ->queue_response() operation implementation may free the request passed as argument. Such implementation potentially could result in a use after free of the request pointer when percpu_ref_put() is called in nvmet_req_complete(). Avoid such problem by using a local variable to save the sq pointer before calling __nvmet_req_complete(), thus avoiding dereferencing the req pointer after that function call.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-53116?: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvmet: avoid potential UAF in nvmet_req_complete() An nvme target ->queue_response() operation implementation may free the request passed as argument. Such implementation potentially could result in a use after free of the request pointer when percpu_ref_put() is called in nvmet_req_complete(). Avoid such problem by using a local variable to save the sq pointer before calling __nvmet_req_complete(), thus avoiding dereferencing the req pointer after that function call.
How severe is CVE-2023-53116?: CVE-2023-53116 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-53116 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (41st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-53116?: CVE-2023-53116 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-53116?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2023-53116 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2023-53116 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-13149.
When was CVE-2023-53116 published?: CVE-2023-53116 was published on 2025-05-02 and last updated on 2026-08-04.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*

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