# CVE-2023-52999: net: fix UaF in netns ops registration error path

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel network namespace registration error path allows local attackers to cause a system crash or potentially execute arbitrary code.

- **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:** 27 Mar 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-52999, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-52999, GHSA-x444-83wh-35rx, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-52999

## What is CVE-2023-52999?

CVE-2023-52999 is a high-severity use after free 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:

net: fix UaF in netns ops registration error path

If net_assign_generic() fails, the current error path in ops_init() tries
to clear the gen pointer slot. Anyway, in such error path, the gen pointer
itself has not been modified yet, and the existing and accessed one is
smaller than the accessed index, causing an out-of-bounds error:

 BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in ops_init+0x2de/0x320
 Write of size 8 at addr ffff888109124978 by task modprobe/1018

 CPU: 2 PID: 1018 Comm: modprobe Not tainted 6.2.0-rc2.mptcp_ae5ac65fbed5+ #1641
 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.1-2.fc37 04/01/2014
 Call Trace:
  <TASK>
  dump_stack_lvl+0x6a/0x9f
  print_address_description.constprop.0+0x86/0x2b5
  print_report+0x11b/0x1fb
  kasan_report+0x87/0xc0
  ops_init+0x2de/0x320
  register_pernet_operations+0x2e4/0x750
  register_pernet_subsys+0x24/0x40
  tcf_register_action+0x9f/0x560
  do_one_initcall+0xf9/0x570
  do_init_module+0x190/0x650
  load_module+0x1fa5/0x23c0
  __do_sys_finit_module+0x10d/0x1b0
  do_syscall_64+0x58/0x80
  entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc
 RIP: 0033:0x7f42518f778d
 Code: 00 c3 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 90 f3 0f 1e fa 48 89 f8 48 89 f7 48
       89 d6 48 89 ca 4d 89 c2 4d 89 c8 4c 8b 4c 24 08 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff
       ff 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d cb 56 2c 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48
 RSP: 002b:00007fff96869688 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000139
 RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 00005568ef7f7c90 RCX: 00007f42518f778d
 RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 00005568ef41d796 RDI: 0000000000000003
 RBP: 00005568ef41d796 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000000
 R10: 0000000000000003 R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 0000000000000000
 R13: 00005568ef7f7d30 R14: 0000000000040000 R15: 0000000000000000
  </TASK>

This change addresses the issue by skipping the gen pointer
de-reference in the mentioned error-path.

Found by code inspection and verified with explicit error injection
on a kasan-enabled kernel.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-52999?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-52999?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-52999 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52999 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-2023-52999 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-52999 is a high-severity use after free 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52999 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-2023-52999/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52999/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-52999
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-52999
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-52999

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52999/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.