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CVE-2023-53171

5.5 · MEDIUM

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vfio/type1: prevent underflow of locked_vm via exec() When a vfio container is preserved across exec, the task does not change,…

Published Sep 15, 2025EPSS 0.16%

Overview

CVE-2023-53171 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on September 15, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

Technical description

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

vfio/type1: prevent underflow of locked_vm via exec()

When a vfio container is preserved across exec, the task does not change,

but it gets a new mm with locked_vm=0, and loses the count from existing

dma mappings. If the user later unmaps a dma mapping, locked_vm underflows

to a large unsigned value, and a subsequent dma map request fails with

ENOMEM in __account_locked_vm.

To avoid underflow, grab and save the mm at the time a dma is mapped.

Use that mm when adjusting locked_vm, rather than re-acquiring the saved

task's mm, which may have changed. If the saved mm is dead, do nothing.

locked_vm is incremented for existing mappings in a subsequent patch.

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

References

Refgit.kernel.org/stable/c/046eca5018f8a5dd1dc2cedf87fb5843b9ea3026Refgit.kernel.org/stable/c/5a271242716846cc016736fb76be2b40ee49b0c3Refgit.kernel.org/stable/c/a6b2aabe664098d5cf877ae0fd96459464a30e17Refgit.kernel.org/stable/c/b0790dff0760b7734cf0961f497ad64628ca550bRefgit.kernel.org/stable/c/eafb81c50da899dd80b340c841277acc4a1945b7

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-53171?

CVE-2023-53171 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on September 15, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2023-53171?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2023-53171?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2023-53171?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2023-53171 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

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