CVE-2023-4459: Kernel: vmxnet3: null pointer dereference in vmxnet3_rq_cleanup()

Modified

AliasesUBUNTU-CVE-2023-4459DEBIAN-CVE-2023-4459

Published 21-08-2023Last modified 08-10-2026

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2023-4459 is a medium (CVSS 5.5) NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability in linux linux_kernel. EPSS estimates a 0.25% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 16.3% of scored vulnerabilities.

Priority

Routine

Not severe (CVSS 5.5, local access); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources

Source freshness unavailable

How is this decided?

CVSS score

5.5/10

010

Medium · v3.1 (CVE.org)

EPSS score

0.25%

0%100%

Low · 0.00 pp in 30 days

KEVNot listedNot listed by any tracked catalog.

RansomwareNot flaggedNo ransomware use recorded.

Public exploits0No public exploits recorded

Timeline

21-08-2023
PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
08-10-2026
Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

A NULL pointer dereference flaw was found in vmxnet3_rq_cleanup in drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_drv.c in the networking sub-component in vmxnet3 in the Linux Kernel. This issue may allow a local attacker with normal user privilege to cause a denial of service due to a missing sanity check during cleanup.

CVSS metrics

4 scores · 4 sources · 1 version

v3.15.5

EPSS trend

Probability

0.25%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

16%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

No change 0.00 pp

From 0.25% on 04-10-2026

04-10-202603-11-2026

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs

CISA KEV

Not in the CISA KEV catalog.

ENISA CNW

Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.

CIRCL

Not in the CIRCL catalog.

Public exploits

0 found

No public exploits indexed.

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

CWE-476NULL Pointer DereferenceThe product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL.

Affected systems

Version check

Known conditions: local access, low-privilege account, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.

Ubuntu86 products

linuxAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 4.4.0-245.279 | < 4.15.0-191.202 | < 5.4.0-126.142 | < 5.15.0-47.51
linux-aws< 4.4.0-1123.129 | < 4.4.0-1161.176 | < 4.15.0-1139.150 | < 5.4.0-1085.92 | < 5.15.0-1019.23
linux-aws-5.0All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-aws-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-aws-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)

linux-aws-5.15< 5.15.0-1019.23~20.04.1
linux-aws-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-aws-5.3All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-aws-5.4< 5.4.0-1085.92~18.04.1
linux-aws-5.8All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-aws-fips< 4.15.0-2078.83 | All versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.4.0-1085.92+fips1
linux-aws-hwe< 4.15.0-1139.150~16.04.1
linux-azure< 4.15.0-1149.164~14.04.1 | < 4.15.0-1149.164~16.04.1 | All versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.4.0-1091.96 | < 5.15.0-1019.24
linux-azure-4.15< 4.15.0-1149.164
linux-azure-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-azure-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-azure-5.15< 5.15.0-1019.24~20.04.1
linux-azure-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-azure-5.3All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-azure-5.4< 5.4.0-1091.96~18.04.1
linux-azure-5.8All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-azure-edgeAll versions (No fix recorded)
linux-azure-fde-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-azure-fips< 4.15.0-2059.65 | All versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.4.0-1091.96+fips1
linux-bluefield< 5.4.0-1046.51
linux-fips< 4.4.0-1093.100 | All versions (No fix recorded) | < 4.15.0-1096.107 | < 5.4.0-1061.69
linux-gcp< 4.15.0-1134.150~16.04.2 | All versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.4.0-1089.97 | < 5.15.0-1017.23
linux-gcp-4.15< 4.15.0-1134.150
linux-gcp-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gcp-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gcp-5.15< 5.15.0-1017.23~20.04.2
linux-gcp-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gcp-5.3All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gcp-5.4< 5.4.0-1089.97~18.04.1
linux-gcp-5.8All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gcp-fips< 4.15.0-2043.48 | All versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.4.0-1089.97+fips1
linux-gkeAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.15.0-1015.18
linux-gke-4.15All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gke-5.15All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gke-5.4All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-gkeop< 5.4.0-1053.56 | < 5.15.0-1002.4
linux-gkeop-5.4All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-hwe< 4.15.0-191.202~16.04.1 | All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-hwe-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-hwe-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-hwe-5.15< 5.15.0-48.54~20.04.1
linux-hwe-5.4< 5.4.0-126.142~18.04.1
linux-hwe-5.8All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-hwe-edgeAll versions (No fix recorded)
linux-ibm< 5.4.0-1033.37 | < 5.15.0-1013.15
linux-ibm-5.4< 5.4.0-1033.37~18.04.1
linux-intel-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-intel-iot-realtimeAll versions (No fix recorded)
linux-intel-iotg< 5.15.0-1015.20
linux-intel-iotg-5.15< 5.15.0-1015.20~20.04.2
linux-iot< 5.4.0-1004.6
linux-kvm< 4.4.0-1124.134 | < 4.15.0-1125.130 | < 5.4.0-1075.80 | < 5.15.0-1017.21
linux-lowlatency< 5.15.0-47.53
linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15< 5.15.0-48.54~20.04.1
linux-lts-xenial< 4.4.0-245.279~14.04.1
linux-nvidia< 5.15.0-1007.7
linux-oemAll versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oem-5.10All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oem-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oem-5.14All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oem-5.17< 5.17.0-1013.14
linux-oem-5.6All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oracle< 4.15.0-1104.115~16.04.1 | < 4.15.0-1104.115 | < 5.4.0-1083.91 | < 5.15.0-1017.22
linux-oracle-5.0All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oracle-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oracle-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oracle-5.15< 5.15.0-1017.22~20.04.1
linux-oracle-5.3All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-oracle-5.4< 5.4.0-1083.91~18.04.1
linux-oracle-5.8All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-raspi< 5.4.0-1070.80 | < 5.15.0-1014.16
linux-raspi-5.4< 5.4.0-1070.80~18.04.1
linux-raspi-realtimeAll versions (No fix recorded)
linux-raspi2All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-realtimeAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.15.0-1020.20
linux-riscvAll versions (No fix recorded)
linux-riscv-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-riscv-5.15< 5.15.0-1018.21~20.04.1
linux-riscv-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-riscv-5.8All versions (No fix recorded)
linux-starfive-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)