Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2023-23039 is a Linux kernel race condition involving VCC device removal during open handling. It requires physical proximity and high attack complexity, but successful exploitation could affect integrity and availability. The public bundle does not identify broad remote exposure or active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted physical-access kernel risk, not an urgent remote breach driver. Prioritize exposed shared, lab, kiosk, or datacenter-adjacent systems where physical access controls are weaker, and handle remaining systems through normal kernel patch cycles.
Technical view
The issue is in drivers/tty/vcc.c through Linux kernel 6.2.0-rc2. A race between vcc_open() and vcc_remove() can cause use-after-free when a physically proximate attacker removes a VCC device while open() is being called. CVSS 3.1 is 5.7 with physical attack vector and high complexity.
Likely exposure
Exposure appears limited to Linux systems through 6.2.0-rc2 with relevant VCC device support and physically accessible hardware. The source bundle does not provide affected CPEs, distribution package names, or confirmation that all Linux deployments are affected.
Exploitation context
The CVE record does not indicate CISA KEV listing, and the provided sources do not state active exploitation. Exploitation requires physical proximity and timing a race condition, making internet-scale exploitation unlikely based on the bundle.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sparse in the provided bundle. The key technical claim is the vcc_open() versus vcc_remove() race leading to use-after-free. No exploit availability, affected distribution matrix, or concrete remediation version is provided here.
Mitigation direction
- Check Linux distribution or vendor advisories for CVE-2023-23039.
- Apply a supported kernel update that addresses this CVE when available.
- Restrict physical access to systems exposing relevant VCC devices.
- Review whether VCC support is required on affected systems.
- Avoid unsupported kernel changes unless vendor guidance recommends them.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Linux kernel versions and identify systems through 6.2.0-rc2.
- Confirm whether VCC device support is present and reachable.
- Map systems where attackers could physically access relevant devices.
- Verify vendor advisory status and installed kernel fix level.
- Track exceptions where no vendor-fixed kernel is available.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-362: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-23039 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.7 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H0.55.2Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.7MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://lkml.org/lkml/2023/1/1/169CVE reference
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')
Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.