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CVE Record

CVE-2023-52596: sysctl: Fix out of bounds access for empty sysctl registers

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sysctl: Fix out of bounds access for empty sysctl registers When registering tables to the sysctl subsystem there is a check to see if header is a permanently empty directory (used for mounts). This check evaluates the first element of the ctl_table. This results in an out of bounds evaluation when registering empty directories. The function register_sysctl_mount_point now passes a ctl_table of size 1 instead of size 0. It now relies solely on the type to identify a permanently empty register. Make sure that the ctl_table has at least one element before testing for permanent emptiness.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2023-52596 is a Linux kernel sysctl bug where an empty registration table can be checked incorrectly, causing out-of-bounds access. The public record confirms kernel fixes, but does not provide CVSS, exploitation evidence, or clear business impact. Treat this as a kernel maintenance issue requiring validation across Linux fleets.

Executive priority

Address during the next kernel patch cycle unless vendor guidance rates it higher for your environment. Escalate priority for critical Linux infrastructure or systems with strict availability requirements, because kernel memory-safety issues can affect stability even when exploitation details are limited.

Technical view

The sysctl subsystem checked the first ctl_table element while determining whether a header was a permanently empty directory. Empty registrations could therefore cause an out-of-bounds evaluation. The fix ensures a ctl_table has at least one element before that check and changes register_sysctl_mount_point to pass a size-one table.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely limited to systems running affected Linux kernel builds that include the vulnerable sysctl code path. The source bundle lists Linux kernel versions around 6.6, 6.7, and 6.8, but distribution backports may change actual exposure.

Exploitation context

No CISA KEV listing or cited source indicates active exploitation. The provided sources do not describe remote exploitability, privilege requirements, proof-of-concept availability, or observed attacks. Impact should be assessed through vendor kernel advisories and local fleet exposure.

Researcher notes

The public record is sparse: no CVSS, CWE, exploit status, or detailed impact is provided. Analysis should focus on affected kernel lineage, commit inclusion, and distribution backports. Avoid assuming remote reachability or privilege escalation without additional vendor evidence.

Mitigation direction

  • Update Linux kernels to builds containing the referenced stable fixes.
  • Check distribution advisories for backported fixes and package-specific version guidance.
  • Prioritize shared, sensitive, and high-availability Linux systems for validation.
  • Reboot systems where required to load the fixed kernel.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory running kernel versions across Linux assets.
  • Confirm whether installed kernel packages include the referenced stable commits.
  • Review distro changelogs or advisories for CVE-2023-52596.
  • Verify systems booted into the fixed kernel after patching.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
5

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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

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CVE-2023-52596 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

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.

0CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
2ADP providers
4Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: partial

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
other:ssvc
CVECVE Program Container
Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux9edbfe92a0a1355bae1e47c8f542ac0d39f19f8c, 9edbfe92a0a1355bae1e47c8f542ac0d39f19f8c, 9edbfe92a0a1355bae1e47c8f542ac0d39f19f8cunaffected
LinuxLinux6.6, 0, 6.6.16, 6.7.4, 6.8affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.