# CVE-2023-53039: HID: intel-ish-hid: ipc: Fix potential use-after-free in work function

> A use-after-free in the Intel ISH HID driver allows attackers to potentially execute code or escalate privileges via a crafted IPC message.

- **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:** 2 May 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53039, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53039, GHSA-2352-43vg-7vcc, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2023-53039, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53039

## What is CVE-2023-53039?

CVE-2023-53039 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 2 May 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:

HID: intel-ish-hid: ipc: Fix potential use-after-free in work function

When a reset notify IPC message is received, the ISR schedules a work
function and passes the ISHTP device to it via a global pointer
ishtp_dev. If ish_probe() fails, the devm-managed device resources
including ishtp_dev are freed, but the work is not cancelled, causing a
use-after-free when the work function tries to access ishtp_dev. Use
devm_work_autocancel() instead, so that the work is automatically
cancelled if probe fails.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53039?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53039?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53039 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53039 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-2023-53039 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53039 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 2 May 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-2023-53039 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-2023-53039/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53039/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53039
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53039
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53039

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53039/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.