CVE-2023-53200
- Published: 2025-09-15T15:15:46.400
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: x_tables: fix percpu counter block leak on error path when creating new netns
Here is the stack where we allocate percpu counter block:
+-< __alloc_percpu
+-< xt_percpu_counter_alloc
+-< find_check_entry # {arp,ip,ip6}_tables.c
+- ip6t_register_table
+-> translate_table # allocates percpu counter block
+-> xt_register_table # fails
there is no freeing of the counter block on xt_register_table fail.
Note: xt_percpu_counter_free should be called to free it like we do in
do_replace through cleanup_entry helper (or in __ip6t_unregister_table).
Probability of hitting this error path is low AFAICS (xt_register_table
can only return ENOMEM here, as it is not replacing anything, as we are
creating new netns, and it is hard to imagine that all previous
allocations succeeded and after that one in xt_register_table failed).
But it’s worth fixing even the rare leak.
Related CVE by CWE
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How to fix CVE-2023-53200
Description: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: x_tables: fix percpu counter block leak on error path when creating new netns Here is the stack where we allocate percpu counter block: +-< __alloc_percpu +-< xt_percpu_counter_alloc +-< find_check_entry # {arp,ip,ip6}_tables.c +- ip6t_register_table +-> translate_table # allocates percpu counter block +-> xt_register_table # fails […]
Exploit Difficulty: HARD
⏱️ Time to exploit: > 4 hours
🛠️ Required skills: Advanced security expertise
💰 Public exploits: Rare or not public
How to Fix:
- Check if you're running the affected product
- Update to the latest patched version
- If patching is not immediately possible: restrict network exposure, apply least-privilege access
- Test the fix in a staging environment first
- Review logs for signs of exploitation
- Monitor for IOCs (Indicators of Compromise)
- Enable automatic security updates
- Set up vulnerability monitoring
- Review and harden security configurations
Exploit Difficulty Assessment
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No vendor/product data available.