CVE-2023-32251 Kernel: ksmbd brute force delay bypass via asynchronous requests
Attackers can bypass the ksmbd brute force delay using asynchronous requests, enabling efficient dictionary attacks against credentials.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2023-32251?
CVE-2023-32251 is a low-severity vulnerability in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, published on 31 Jul 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
A vulnerability has been identified in the Linux kernel's ksmbd component (kernel SMB/CIFS server). A security control designed to prevent dictionary attacks, which introduces a 5-second delay during session setup, can be bypassed through the use of asynchronous requests. This bypass negates the intended anti-brute-force protection, potentially allowing attackers to conduct dictionary attacks more efficiently against user credentials or other authentication mechanisms.
Weakness: CWE-307
Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-32251?
How do I fix CVE-2023-32251?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2023-32251 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-32251 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2023-32251, GHSA-7rf9-h4hc-6359, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-32251.