# CVE-2023-53556: iavf: Fix use-after-free in free_netdev

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel iavf driver 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:** 4 Oct 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53556, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53556, GHSA-f95c-c99f-h2mq, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53556

## What is CVE-2023-53556?

CVE-2023-53556 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 Oct 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:

iavf: Fix use-after-free in free_netdev

We do netif_napi_add() for all allocated q_vectors[], but potentially
do netif_napi_del() for part of them, then kfree q_vectors and leave
invalid pointers at dev->napi_list.

Reproducer:

  [root@host ~]# cat repro.sh
  #!/bin/bash

  pf_dbsf="0000:41:00.0"
  vf0_dbsf="0000:41:02.0"
  g_pids=()

  function do_set_numvf()
  {
      echo 2 >/sys/bus/pci/devices/${pf_dbsf}/sriov_numvfs
      sleep $((RANDOM%3+1))
      echo 0 >/sys/bus/pci/devices/${pf_dbsf}/sriov_numvfs
      sleep $((RANDOM%3+1))
  }

  function do_set_channel()
  {
      local nic=$(ls -1 --indicator-style=none /sys/bus/pci/devices/${vf0_dbsf}/net/)
      [ -z "$nic" ] && { sleep $((RANDOM%3)) ; return 1; }
      ifconfig $nic 192.168.18.5 netmask 255.255.255.0
      ifconfig $nic up
      ethtool -L $nic combined 1
      ethtool -L $nic combined 4
      sleep $((RANDOM%3))
  }

  function on_exit()
  {
      local pid
      for pid in "${g_pids[@]}"; do
          kill -0 "$pid" &>/dev/null && kill "$pid" &>/dev/null
      done
      g_pids=()
  }

  trap "on_exit; exit" EXIT

  while :; do do_set_numvf ; done &
  g_pids+=($!)
  while :; do do_set_channel ; done &
  g_pids+=($!)

  wait

Result:

[ 4093.900222] ==================================================================
[ 4093.900230] BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in free_netdev+0x308/0x390
[ 4093.900232] Read of size 8 at addr ffff88b4dc145640 by task repro.sh/6699
[ 4093.900233]
[ 4093.900236] CPU: 10 PID: 6699 Comm: repro.sh Kdump: loaded Tainted: G           O     --------- -t - 4.18.0 #1
[ 4093.900238] Hardware name: Powerleader PR2008AL/H12DSi-N6, BIOS 2.0 04/09/2021
[ 4093.900239] Call Trace:
[ 4093.900244]  dump_stack+0x71/0xab
[ 4093.900249]  print_address_description+0x6b/0x290
[ 4093.900251]  ? free_netdev+0x308/0x390
[ 4093.900252]  kasan_report+0x14a/0x2b0
[ 4093.900254]  free_netdev+0x308/0x390
[ 4093.900261]  iavf_remove+0x825/0xd20 [iavf]
[ 4093.900265]  pci_device_remove+0xa8/0x1f0
[ 4093.900268]  device_release_driver_internal+0x1c6/0x460
[ 4093.900271]  pci_stop_bus_device+0x101/0x150
[ 4093.900273]  pci_stop_and_remove_bus_device+0xe/0x20
[ 4093.900275]  pci_iov_remove_virtfn+0x187/0x420
[ 4093.900277]  ? pci_iov_add_virtfn+0xe10/0xe10
[ 4093.900278]  ? pci_get_subsys+0x90/0x90
[ 4093.900280]  sriov_disable+0xed/0x3e0
[ 4093.900282]  ? bus_find_device+0x12d/0x1a0
[ 4093.900290]  i40e_free_vfs+0x754/0x1210 [i40e]
[ 4093.900298]  ? i40e_reset_all_vfs+0x880/0x880 [i40e]
[ 4093.900299]  ? pci_get_device+0x7c/0x90
[ 4093.900300]  ? pci_get_subsys+0x90/0x90
[ 4093.900306]  ? pci_vfs_assigned.part.7+0x144/0x210
[ 4093.900309]  ? __mutex_lock_slowpath+0x10/0x10
[ 4093.900315]  i40e_pci_sriov_configure+0x1fa/0x2e0 [i40e]
[ 4093.900318]  sriov_numvfs_store+0x214/0x290
[ 4093.900320]  ? sriov_totalvfs_show+0x30/0x30
[ 4093.900321]  ? __mutex_lock_slowpath+0x10/0x10
[ 4093.900323]  ? __check_object_size+0x15a/0x350
[ 4093.900326]  kernfs_fop_write+0x280/0x3f0
[ 4093.900329]  vfs_write+0x145/0x440
[ 4093.900330]  ksys_write+0xab/0x160
[ 4093.900332]  ? __ia32_sys_read+0xb0/0xb0
[ 4093.900334]  ? fput_many+0x1a/0x120
[ 4093.900335]  ? filp_close+0xf0/0x130
[ 4093.900338]  do_syscall_64+0xa0/0x370
[ 4093.900339]  ? page_fault+0x8/0x30
[ 4093.900341]  entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x65/0xca
[ 4093.900357] RIP: 0033:0x7f16ad4d22c0
[ 4093.900359] Code: 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d d8 cb 2c 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48 83 c8 ff c3 66 0f 1f 44 00 00 83 3d 89 24 2d 00 00 75 10 b8 01 00 00 00 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 31 c3 48 83 ec 08 e8 fe dd 01 00 48 89 04 24
[ 4093.900360] RSP: 002b:00007ffd6491b7f8 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000001
[ 4093.900362] RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 0000000000000002 RCX: 00007f16ad4d22c0
[ 4093.900363] RDX: 0000000000000002 RSI: 0000000001a41408 RDI: 0000000000000001
[ 4093.900364] RBP: 0000000001a41408 R08: 00007f16ad7a1780 R09: 00007f16ae1f2700
[ 4093.9003
---truncated---

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53556?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53556?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53556 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53556 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-2023-53556 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53556 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 Oct 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-2023-53556 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-2023-53556/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53556/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53556
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53556
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53556

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53556/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.