CVE-2023-2163: Incorrect Verifier Branch Pruning Logic Leads To Arbitrary Read/Write In Linux Kernel and Lateral Privilege Escalation
Vulnerability summary
CVE-2023-2163 is a critical (CVSS 10.0) Incorrect Calculation vulnerability in linux linux_kernel. EPSS estimates a 3.64% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 89.5% of scored vulnerabilities.
Severe, CVSS 10 (CVE.org); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources; EPSS 4% (FIRST, 03-11-2026)
Source freshness unavailable
How is this decided?Advisory lineage
Upstream 0 · Downstream 60 · Related 41Timeline
- 20-09-2023PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
- 27-02-2025Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.
Description
Incorrect verifier pruning in BPF in Linux Kernel >=5.4 leads to unsafe code paths being incorrectly marked as safe, resulting in arbitrary read/write in kernel memory, lateral privilege escalation, and container escape.
CVSS metrics
4 scores · 4 sources · 1 version- OSV · UbuntuEcosystem advisory · calculated8.8HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HDiffers
- OSV · DebianEcosystem advisory · calculated8.8HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HDiffers
- NVDNIST8.8HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HDiffers
EPSS trend
Probability
3.64%
Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days
Percentile
90%
Versus all other CVEs
30-day change
Decrease -0.03 pp
From 3.67% on 04-10-2026
Known exploited
Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEVNot in the CISA KEV catalog.
ENISA CNWNot in the ENISA CNW catalog.
CIRCLNot in the CIRCL catalog.
Public exploits
0 foundNo public exploits indexed.
Weaknesses
CWE · root causeAffected systems
Known conditions: network-reachable, no authentication, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.
Ubuntu96 products
- linux< 5.4.0-162.179 | < 5.15.0-79.86
- linux-allwinner-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
- linux-aws< 5.4.0-1109.118 | < 5.15.0-1042.47
- linux-aws-5.0All versions (No fix recorded)
- linux-aws-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
Debian1 product
- linux< 6.1.27-1
Linux1 product
- linux_kernel< 71b547f561247897a0a14f3082730156c0533fed | ≥ 5.3, < 5.4.242 | ≥ 5.5, < 5.10.179 | ≥ 5.11, < 5.15.109 | ≥ 5.16, < 6.1.26 | ≥ 6.2, < 6.2.13
Suse1 product
- kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP2_Update_41&distro=SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP2< 3-150200.2.1
4 vendors · 99 products
References
20 links- bughunters.google.com/blog/…Technical Description
