Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2023-52973 is a Linux kernel memory-safety flaw in virtual console screen reading. A local user could potentially trigger use-after-free behavior, with CVSS indicating possible confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. It is not listed in CISA KEV in the provided data, so active exploitation is not established.
Executive priority
Treat as high priority for Linux fleets where local users, containers, or untrusted workloads exist. It is less urgent than a remotely exploitable KEV-listed issue, but kernel privilege-boundary bugs can materially affect shared infrastructure risk.
Technical view
The flaw is CWE-416 use-after-free in drivers/tty/vt/vc_screen.c. In vcs_read(), vc_data could be freed after console_unlock() via vc_deallocate(), then reused when vcs_size() is called. Syzkaller and KASAN reported the issue. Kernel stable commits move the vc_data pointer load to avoid stale access.
Likely exposure
Exposure is local Linux systems with affected kernel versions using the vulnerable vc_screen code path. The CVE data lists Linux kernel versions starting at 2.6.38 and specific stable lines including 4.14.329, 4.19.273, 5.4.232, 5.10.168, 5.15.93, 6.1.11, and 6.2 as affected.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector is local, low complexity, low privileges, and no user interaction. Provided sources show a syzkaller/KASAN crash report, not real-world exploitation. Because this is kernel memory corruption, successful exploitation could be serious, but exploitability beyond the report is not proven here.
Researcher notes
The public record identifies the root cause and fix direction, but does not provide a distribution-specific affected matrix or exploitation evidence. Validate against vendor kernels, because backports may fix the issue without obvious upstream version matching.
Mitigation direction
- Update affected Linux kernels to versions containing the referenced stable fixes.
- Use distribution security updates rather than self-selecting upstream commits where possible.
- If patch status is unclear, check Linux vendor guidance for CVE-2023-52973.
- Prioritize multi-user, shared, and untrusted workload Linux systems.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Linux kernel versions across servers, endpoints, appliances, and images.
- Check vendor advisories or changelogs for CVE-2023-52973 or referenced stable commits.
- Confirm patched kernels are running after maintenance windows and reboots.
- Review exposure of systems allowing local shell or untrusted code execution.
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-416: 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-2023-52973 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
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
2 official scoresWe 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:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9CISA-ADPVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/af79ea9a2443016f64d8fd8d72020cc874f0e066CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6332f52f44b9776568bf3c0b714ddfb0bb175e78CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d0332cbf53dad06a22189cc341391237f4ea6d9fCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/55515d7d8743b71b80bfe68e89eb9d92630626abCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc9e27f3ba083534b8bbf72ab0f5c810ffdc7d18CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8506f16aae9daf354e3732bcfd447e2a97f023dfCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/226fae124b2dac217ea5436060d623ff3385bc34CVE reference, Linux
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.
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.