# CVE-2023-52885: SUNRPC: Fix UAF in svc_tcp_listen_data_ready()
> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's SUNRPC module allows attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially execute code via race conditions during NFS listener shutdown.
- **Severity:** High 8.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 14 Jul 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-52885, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-52885, GHSA-p7rj-mgww-3q4f, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-52885
## What is CVE-2023-52885?
CVE-2023-52885 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 14 Jul 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
### Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
SUNRPC: Fix UAF in svc_tcp_listen_data_ready()
After the listener svc_sock is freed, and before invoking svc_tcp_accept()
for the established child sock, there is a window that the newsock
retaining a freed listener svc_sock in sk_user_data which cloning from
parent. In the race window, if data is received on the newsock, we will
observe use-after-free report in svc_tcp_listen_data_ready().
Reproduce by two tasks:
1. while :; do rpc.nfsd 0 ; rpc.nfsd; done
2. while :; do echo "" | ncat -4 127.0.0.1 2049 ; done
KASAN report:
==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in svc_tcp_listen_data_ready+0x1cf/0x1f0 [sunrpc]
Read of size 8 at addr ffff888139d96228 by task nc/102553
CPU: 7 PID: 102553 Comm: nc Not tainted 6.3.0+ #18
Hardware name: VMware, Inc. VMware Virtual Platform/440BX Desktop Reference Platform, BIOS 6.00 11/12/2020
Call Trace:
dump_stack_lvl+0x33/0x50
print_address_description.constprop.0+0x27/0x310
print_report+0x3e/0x70
kasan_report+0xae/0xe0
svc_tcp_listen_data_ready+0x1cf/0x1f0 [sunrpc]
tcp_data_queue+0x9f4/0x20e0
tcp_rcv_established+0x666/0x1f60
tcp_v4_do_rcv+0x51c/0x850
tcp_v4_rcv+0x23fc/0x2e80
ip_protocol_deliver_rcu+0x62/0x300
ip_local_deliver_finish+0x267/0x350
ip_local_deliver+0x18b/0x2d0
ip_rcv+0x2fb/0x370
__netif_receive_skb_one_core+0x166/0x1b0
process_backlog+0x24c/0x5e0
__napi_poll+0xa2/0x500
net_rx_action+0x854/0xc90
__do_softirq+0x1bb/0x5de
do_softirq+0xcb/0x100
...
Allocated by task 102371:
kasan_save_stack+0x1e/0x40
kasan_set_track+0x21/0x30
__kasan_kmalloc+0x7b/0x90
svc_setup_socket+0x52/0x4f0 [sunrpc]
svc_addsock+0x20d/0x400 [sunrpc]
__write_ports_addfd+0x209/0x390 [nfsd]
write_ports+0x239/0x2c0 [nfsd]
nfsctl_transaction_write+0xac/0x110 [nfsd]
vfs_write+0x1c3/0xae0
ksys_write+0xed/0x1c0
do_syscall_64+0x38/0x90
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc
Freed by task 102551:
kasan_save_stack+0x1e/0x40
kasan_set_track+0x21/0x30
kasan_save_free_info+0x2a/0x50
__kasan_slab_free+0x106/0x190
__kmem_cache_free+0x133/0x270
svc_xprt_free+0x1e2/0x350 [sunrpc]
svc_xprt_destroy_all+0x25a/0x440 [sunrpc]
nfsd_put+0x125/0x240 [nfsd]
nfsd_svc+0x2cb/0x3c0 [nfsd]
write_threads+0x1ac/0x2a0 [nfsd]
nfsctl_transaction_write+0xac/0x110 [nfsd]
vfs_write+0x1c3/0xae0
ksys_write+0xed/0x1c0
do_syscall_64+0x38/0x90
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc
Fix the UAF by simply doing nothing in svc_tcp_listen_data_ready()
if state != TCP_LISTEN, that will avoid dereferencing svsk for all
child socket.
Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)
## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-52885?
It affects 1 product.
Products: Linux kernel.
## How do I fix CVE-2023-52885?
Apply the vendor's patch.
## Is CVE-2023-52885 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52885 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-2023-52885 and fix it if it is affected.
What it is: CVE-2023-52885 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 14 Jul 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52885 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-2023-52885/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52885/index.md)
```
## Sources
- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-52885
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-52885
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-52885
---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52885/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.