# CVE-2023-53000: netlink: prevent potential spectre v1 gadgets

> A local attacker can exploit Spectre v1 gadgets in netlink attribute parsing to leak sensitive kernel memory contents.

- **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:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53000, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53000, GHSA-jw5w-h5c8-x699, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53000

## What is CVE-2023-53000?

CVE-2023-53000 is a high-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:

netlink: prevent potential spectre v1 gadgets

Most netlink attributes are parsed and validated from
__nla_validate_parse() or validate_nla()

    u16 type = nla_type(nla);

    if (type == 0 || type > maxtype) {
        /* error or continue */
    }

@type is then used as an array index and can be used
as a Spectre v1 gadget.

array_index_nospec() can be used to prevent leaking
content of kernel memory to malicious users.

This should take care of vast majority of netlink uses,
but an audit is needed to take care of others where
validation is not yet centralized in core netlink functions.

Weakness: CWE-129 (Improper Validation of Array Index)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53000?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53000?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53000 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53000 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-2023-53000 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53000 is a high-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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53000 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-2023-53000/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53000/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53000
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53000
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53000

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53000/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.