CVE-2023-53438
5.5 · MEDIUMOverview
CVE-2023-53438 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on September 18, 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:
x86/MCE: Always save CS register on AMD Zen IF Poison errors
The Instruction Fetch (IF) units on current AMD Zen-based systems do not
guarantee a synchronous #MC is delivered for poison consumption errors.
Therefore, MCG_STATUS[EIPV|RIPV] will not be set. However, the
microarchitecture does guarantee that the exception is delivered within
the same context. In other words, the exact rIP is not known, but the
context is known to not have changed.
There is no architecturally-defined method to determine this behavior.
The Code Segment (CS) register is always valid on such IF unit poison
errors regardless of the value of MCG_STATUS[EIPV|RIPV].
Add a quirk to save the CS register for poison consumption from the IF
unit banks.
This is needed to properly determine the context of the error.
Otherwise, the severity grading function will assume the context is
IN_KERNEL due to the m->cs value being 0 (the initialized value).
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. 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.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 0, < 6.1.53 | Affected |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2023-53438?
CVE-2023-53438 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on September 18, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2023-53438?
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-2023-53438?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. 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-2023-53438?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2023-53438 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
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