# CVE-2023-52446: bpf: Fix a race condition between btf_put() and map_free()
> A race condition in the Linux kernel BPF subsystem allows a use-after-free, potentially enabling local attackers to execute code or escalate privileges.
- **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:** 22 Feb 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-52446, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-52446, GHSA-3m37-qf9f-22vv, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-52446
## What is CVE-2023-52446?
CVE-2023-52446 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 22 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
### Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
bpf: Fix a race condition between btf_put() and map_free()
When running `./test_progs -j` in my local vm with latest kernel,
I once hit a kasan error like below:
[ 1887.184724] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in bpf_rb_root_free+0x1f8/0x2b0
[ 1887.185599] Read of size 4 at addr ffff888106806910 by task kworker/u12:2/2830
[ 1887.186498]
[ 1887.186712] CPU: 3 PID: 2830 Comm: kworker/u12:2 Tainted: G OEL 6.7.0-rc3-00699-g90679706d486-dirty #494
[ 1887.188034] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.14.0-0-g155821a1990b-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014
[ 1887.189618] Workqueue: events_unbound bpf_map_free_deferred
[ 1887.190341] Call Trace:
[ 1887.190666]
[ 1887.190949] dump_stack_lvl+0xac/0xe0
[ 1887.191423] ? nf_tcp_handle_invalid+0x1b0/0x1b0
[ 1887.192019] ? panic+0x3c0/0x3c0
[ 1887.192449] print_report+0x14f/0x720
[ 1887.192930] ? preempt_count_sub+0x1c/0xd0
[ 1887.193459] ? __virt_addr_valid+0xac/0x120
[ 1887.194004] ? bpf_rb_root_free+0x1f8/0x2b0
[ 1887.194572] kasan_report+0xc3/0x100
[ 1887.195085] ? bpf_rb_root_free+0x1f8/0x2b0
[ 1887.195668] bpf_rb_root_free+0x1f8/0x2b0
[ 1887.196183] ? __bpf_obj_drop_impl+0xb0/0xb0
[ 1887.196736] ? preempt_count_sub+0x1c/0xd0
[ 1887.197270] ? preempt_count_sub+0x1c/0xd0
[ 1887.197802] ? _raw_spin_unlock+0x1f/0x40
[ 1887.198319] bpf_obj_free_fields+0x1d4/0x260
[ 1887.198883] array_map_free+0x1a3/0x260
[ 1887.199380] bpf_map_free_deferred+0x7b/0xe0
[ 1887.199943] process_scheduled_works+0x3a2/0x6c0
[ 1887.200549] worker_thread+0x633/0x890
[ 1887.201047] ? __kthread_parkme+0xd7/0xf0
[ 1887.201574] ? kthread+0x102/0x1d0
[ 1887.202020] kthread+0x1ab/0x1d0
[ 1887.202447] ? pr_cont_work+0x270/0x270
[ 1887.202954] ? kthread_blkcg+0x50/0x50
[ 1887.203444] ret_from_fork+0x34/0x50
[ 1887.203914] ? kthread_blkcg+0x50/0x50
[ 1887.204397] ret_from_fork_asm+0x11/0x20
[ 1887.204913]
[ 1887.204913]
[ 1887.205209]
[ 1887.205416] Allocated by task 2197:
[ 1887.205881] kasan_set_track+0x3f/0x60
[ 1887.206366] __kasan_kmalloc+0x6e/0x80
[ 1887.206856] __kmalloc+0xac/0x1a0
[ 1887.207293] btf_parse_fields+0xa15/0x1480
[ 1887.207836] btf_parse_struct_metas+0x566/0x670
[ 1887.208387] btf_new_fd+0x294/0x4d0
[ 1887.208851] __sys_bpf+0x4ba/0x600
[ 1887.209292] __x64_sys_bpf+0x41/0x50
[ 1887.209762] do_syscall_64+0x4c/0xf0
[ 1887.210222] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0x6b
[ 1887.210868]
[ 1887.211074] Freed by task 36:
[ 1887.211460] kasan_set_track+0x3f/0x60
[ 1887.211951] kasan_save_free_info+0x28/0x40
[ 1887.212485] ____kasan_slab_free+0x101/0x180
[ 1887.213027] __kmem_cache_free+0xe4/0x210
[ 1887.213514] btf_free+0x5b/0x130
[ 1887.213918] rcu_core+0x638/0xcc0
[ 1887.214347] __do_softirq+0x114/0x37e
The error happens at bpf_rb_root_free+0x1f8/0x2b0:
00000000000034c0 :
; {
34c0: f3 0f 1e fa endbr64
34c4: e8 00 00 00 00 callq 0x34c9
34c9: 55 pushq %rbp
34ca: 48 89 e5 movq %rsp, %rbp
...
; if (rec && rec->refcount_off >= 0 &&
36aa: 4d 85 ed testq %r13, %r13
36ad: 74 a9 je 0x3658
36af: 49 8d 7d 10 leaq 0x10(%r13), %rdi
36b3: e8 00 00 00 00 callq 0x36b8
<==== kasan function
36b8: 45 8b 7d 10 movl 0x10(%r13), %r15d
<==== use-after-free load
36bc: 45 85 ff testl %r15d, %r15d
36bf: 78 8c js 0x364d
So the problem
---truncated---
Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)
## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-52446?
It affects 1 product.
Products: Linux kernel.
## How do I fix CVE-2023-52446?
Apply the vendor's patch.
## Is CVE-2023-52446 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52446 in the wild and no public exploit code.
## 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-2023-52446 and fix it if it is affected.
What it is: CVE-2023-52446 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 22 Feb 2024. 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-2023-52446 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-2023-52446/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52446/index.md)
```
## Sources
- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-52446
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-52446
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-52446
---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52446/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.