# CVE-2023-32233: Use after free in n/a

> Unprivileged local users can gain root privileges via a use-after-free in the Linux kernel's Netfilter nf_tables component.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 8 May 2023
- **Updated:** 14 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2023-32233, ALSA-2023:3349, ALSA-2023:3350, AZL-26690, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-32233, GHSA-4qxv-phx5-f6fx, RHSA-2023:3350, RHSA-2023:3351, RLSA-2023:3350, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-32233

## What is CVE-2023-32233?

CVE-2023-32233 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 8 May 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel through 6.3.1, a use-after-free in Netfilter nf_tables when processing batch requests can be abused to perform arbitrary read and write operations on kernel memory. Unprivileged local users can obtain root privileges. This occurs because anonymous sets are mishandled.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-32233?

It affects 3 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `bpftool` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-abi-stablelists` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-core` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-cross-headers` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-debug` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-debug-core` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-debug-devel` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-debug-modules` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-debug-modules-extra` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-devel` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-doc` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-modules` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-modules-extra` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-rt` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.rt7.276.el8_8 |
| `kernel-rt-core` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.rt7.276.el8_8 |
| `kernel-rt-debug` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.rt7.276.el8_8 |
| `kernel-rt-debug-core` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.rt7.276.el8_8 |
| `kernel-rt-debug-devel` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.rt7.276.el8_8 |
| `kernel-rt-debug-kvm` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.rt7.276.el8_8 |
| `kernel-rt-debug-modules` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.rt7.276.el8_8 |
| `kernel-rt-debug-modules-extra` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.rt7.276.el8_8 |
| `kernel-rt-devel` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.rt7.276.el8_8 |
| `kernel-rt-kvm` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.rt7.276.el8_8 |
| `kernel-rt-modules` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.rt7.276.el8_8 |
| `kernel-rt-modules-extra` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.rt7.276.el8_8 |
| `kernel-tools` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-tools-libs` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-tools-libs-devel` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-zfcpdump` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-zfcpdump-core` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-zfcpdump-devel` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-zfcpdump-modules` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-zfcpdump-modules-extra` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `perf` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `python3-perf` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 4.18.0-477.13.1.el8_8 |
| `kpatch-patch-4_18_0-477_10_1` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:1-1.el8_8 |
| `kpatch-patch-4_18_0-477_10_1-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:1-1.el8_8 |
| `kpatch-patch-4_18_0-477_10_1-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:1-1.el8_8 |
| `kernel-rt` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::nfv | All versions | 0:4.18.0-477.13.1.rt7.276.el8_8 |

Products: Linux kernel, Netapp Hci Baseboard Management Controller, Redhat Enterprise Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-32233?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-32233 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-32233 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- CVE-2023-32233: Linux内核中的安全漏洞 (github_poc): https://github.com/Liuk3r/CVE-2023-32233
- Use-After-Free in Netfilter nf_tables when processing batch requests CVE-2023-32233 (github_poc): https://github.com/oferchen/POC-CVE-2023-32233
- 自用，poc作者为Piotr Krysiuk，在使用前请先阅读README.md (github_poc): https://github.com/PIDAN-HEIDASHUAI/CVE-2023-32233
- https://github.com/void0red/CVE-2023-32233 (github_poc): https://github.com/void0red/CVE-2023-32233
- Gemini 2.5 Pro nf_tables Red Teaming Case Study (CVE-2023-32233) — LLM Safety Alignment & Responsible Disclosure (github_poc): https://github.com/Destawell/gemini-2.5-pro-nf-tables-red-teaming
- CVE-2023-32233 (github_poc): https://github.com/RogelioPumajulca/TEST-CVE-2023-32233

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-32233 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-32233 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 8 May 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-32233 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32233/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32233/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-32233
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-32233
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-32233

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32233/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.