CVE-2023-52996 ipv4: prevent potential spectre v1 gadget in fib_metrics_match()

What is CVE-2023-52996?

CVE-2023-52996 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Mar 2025. 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:

ipv4: prevent potential spectre v1 gadget in fib_metrics_match()

if (!type) continue; if (type > RTAX_MAX) return false; ... fi_val = fi->fib_metrics->metrics[type - 1];

@type being used as an array index, we need to prevent cpu speculation or risk leaking kernel memory content.

Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-52996?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Linux kernel.

How do I fix CVE-2023-52996?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Is CVE-2023-52996 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52996 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

• CVE-2026-53266 Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2013-6282 Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2022-0185 Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2013-2094 Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2026-53362 Linux Kernel Unspecified Exploited High 7.8

All Linux kernel vulnerabilities

Sources

• CVE record
• NVD
• OSV
• GitHub advisory
• How this page is made

Also known as BELL-CVE-2023-52996, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-52996, GHSA-f656-g9wf-2686, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-52996.