Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2023-39197 is a Linux kernel Netfilter connection-tracking flaw that can let a remote attacker read limited sensitive information using DCCP traffic. The public data rates it medium severity, with high attack complexity and confidentiality-only impact. Red Hat lists RHEL 8 and 9 as unaffected; RHEL 6 and 7 status is not resolved in the provided data.
Executive priority
Handle as a targeted medium-priority kernel exposure review, not an emergency. Focus on legacy RHEL 6 and 7 environments because their status is unresolved in the provided sources, while RHEL 8 and 9 are listed as unaffected.
Technical view
The flaw is an out-of-bounds read in nf_conntrack_dccp_packet(), part of Linux kernel Netfilter conntrack handling for DCCP. CVSS 3.1 is 4.0: network reachable, high complexity, no privileges, no user interaction, changed scope, low confidentiality impact, no integrity or availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most relevant to Linux systems processing DCCP through Netfilter conntrack. The source bundle only identifies Red Hat kernel and kernel-rt packages: RHEL 8 and 9 are marked unaffected, while RHEL 6 and 7 have unknown default status.
Exploitation context
No source in the bundle reports active exploitation, and CISA KEV status is false. The CVSS vector suggests exploitation is remote but high-complexity and limited to information disclosure. Evidence is incomplete for practical exploitability, affected upstream kernel ranges, and fixed package versions.
Researcher notes
The key uncertainty is affected-version specificity. The bundle gives the vulnerable function, CWE-125, and Red Hat product status, but not fixed commits, kernel version ranges, proofs of concept, or mitigation text. Avoid over-scoping beyond DCCP conntrack handling and Red Hat’s stated statuses.
Mitigation direction
- Review Red Hat CVE guidance for affected kernel and kernel-rt packages.
- Prioritize vendor-supported kernel updates where Red Hat confirms exposure.
- Treat RHEL 6 and RHEL 7 systems as requiring manual verification.
- Avoid assuming RHEL 8 or RHEL 9 need remediation from this bundle alone.
- Document any temporary network control decisions against vendor guidance.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Linux hosts using Red Hat kernel or kernel-rt packages.
- Confirm RHEL major version and kernel package lineage.
- Check whether DCCP and Netfilter conntrack are relevant in deployed configurations.
- Compare findings with the Red Hat CVE page and Bugzilla entry.
- Record unaffected RHEL 8 and RHEL 9 systems separately from unknown-status systems.
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-125: 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-2023-39197 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
- 4 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N
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:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N2.21.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
4MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-39197CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHBZ#2218342CVE reference · issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT
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.
Out-of-bounds Read
Out-of-bounds Read represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.