Linux Kernel up to 5.15.120/6.1.38/6.3.12/6.4.3 bonding include/linux/skbuff.h ndo_start_xmit privilege escalation

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in Linux Kernel up to 5.15.120/6.1.38/6.3.12/6.4.3. The impacted element is the function ndo_start_xmit in the library include/linux/skbuff.h of the component bonding. The manipulation leads to an unknown weakness. This vulnerability is referenced as CVE-2023-53601. No exploit is available. It is advisable to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in Linux Kernel up to 5.15.120/6.1.38/6.3.12/6.4.3. This issue affects the function ndo_start_xmit in the library include/linux/skbuff.h of the component bonding. The impact remains unknown. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bonding: do not assume skb mac_header is set Drivers must not assume in their ndo_start_xmit() that skbs have their mac_header set. skb->data is all what is needed. bonding seems to be one of the last offender as caught by syzbot: WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 12155 at include/linux/skbuff.h:2907 skb_mac_offset include/linux/skbuff.h:2913 [inline] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 12155 at include/linux/skbuff.h:2907 bond_xmit_hash drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:4170 [inline] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 12155 at include/linux/skbuff.h:2907 bond_xmit_3ad_xor_slave_get drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5149 [inline] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 12155 at include/linux/skbuff.h:2907 bond_3ad_xor_xmit drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5186 [inline] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 12155 at include/linux/skbuff.h:2907 __bond_start_xmit drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5442 [inline] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 12155 at include/linux/skbuff.h:2907 bond_start_xmit+0x14ab/0x19d0 drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5470 Modules linked in: CPU: 1 PID: 12155 Comm: syz-executor.3 Not tainted 6.1.30-syzkaller #0 Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 05/25/2023 RIP: 0010:skb_mac_header include/linux/skbuff.h:2907 [inline] RIP: 0010:skb_mac_offset include/linux/skbuff.h:2913 [inline] RIP: 0010:bond_xmit_hash drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:4170 [inline] RIP: 0010:bond_xmit_3ad_xor_slave_get drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5149 [inline] RIP: 0010:bond_3ad_xor_xmit drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5186 [inline] RIP: 0010:__bond_start_xmit drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5442 [inline] RIP: 0010:bond_start_xmit+0x14ab/0x19d0 drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c:5470 Code: 8b 7c 24 30 e8 76 dd 1a 01 48 85 c0 74 0d 48 89 c3 e8 29 67 2e fe e9 15 ef ff ff e8 1f 67 2e fe e9 10 ef ff ff e8 15 67 2e fe <0f> 0b e9 45 f8 ff ff e8 09 67 2e fe e9 dc fa ff ff e8 ff 66 2e fe RSP: 0018:ffffc90002fff6e0 EFLAGS: 00010283 RAX: ffffffff835874db RBX: 000000000000ffff RCX: 0000000000040000 RDX: ffffc90004dcf000 RSI: 00000000000000b5 RDI: 00000000000000b6 RBP: ffffc90002fff8b8 R08: ffffffff83586d16 R09: ffffffff83586584 R10: 0000000000000007 R11: ffff8881599fc780 R12: ffff88811b6a7b7e R13: 1ffff110236d4f6f R14: ffff88811b6a7ac0 R15: 1ffff110236d4f76 FS: 00007f2e9eb47700(0000) GS:ffff8881f6b00000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 0000001b2e421000 CR3: 000000010e6d4000 CR4: 00000000003526e0 DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000 DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400 Call Trace: <TASK> [<ffffffff8471a49f>] netdev_start_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:4925 [inline] [<ffffffff8471a49f>] __dev_direct_xmit+0x4ef/0x850 net/core/dev.c:4380 [<ffffffff851d845b>] dev_direct_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3043 [inline] [<ffffffff851d845b>] packet_direct_xmit+0x18b/0x300 net/packet/af_packet.c:284 [<ffffffff851c7472>] packet_snd net/packet/af_packet.c:3112 [inline] [<ffffffff851c7472>] packet_sendmsg+0x4a22/0x64d0 net/packet/af_packet.c:3143 [<ffffffff8467a4b2>] sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:716 [inline] [<ffffffff8467a4b2>] sock_sendmsg net/socket.c:736 [inline] [<ffffffff8467a4b2>] __sys_sendto+0x472/0x5f0 net/socket.c:2139 [<ffffffff8467a715>] __do_sys_sendto net/socket.c:2151 [inline] [<ffffffff8467a715>] __se_sys_sendto net/socket.c:2147 [inline] [<ffffffff8467a715>] __x64_sys_sendto+0xe5/0x100 net/socket.c:2147 [<ffffffff8553071f>] do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline] [<ffffffff8553071f>] do_syscall_64+0x2f/0x50 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80 [<ffffffff85600087>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2023-53601 since 10/04/2025. The exploitation is known to be difficult. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available. The price for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 04/28/2026).

Upgrading to version 5.15.121, 6.1.39, 6.3.13 or 6.4.4 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 37b6143376a578265add04f35161b257eeb84a5e/c96cc3d9acaca53d9a81c884c23f1224b61c829b/bc16fc63592c419357dd4c4d82d50762102a60ef/6a940abdef3162e5723f1495b8a49859d1708f79 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at EUVD (EUVD-2023-60007) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2194). If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

Affected

• Google Container-Optimized OS
• Debian Linux
• Google Cloud Platform
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• SUSE openSUSE
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• RESF Rocky Linux
• NetApp ActiveIQ Unified Manager
• IBM QRadar SIEM
• Dell NetWorker

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 5.15.120
• 6.1.0
• 6.1.1
• 6.1.2
• 6.1.3
• 6.1.4
• 6.1.5
• 6.1.6
• 6.1.7
• 6.1.8
• 6.1.9
• 6.1.10
• 6.1.11
• 6.1.12
• 6.1.13
• 6.1.14
• 6.1.15
• 6.1.16
• 6.1.17
• 6.1.18
• 6.1.19
• 6.1.20
• 6.1.21
• 6.1.22
• 6.1.23
• 6.1.24
• 6.1.25
• 6.1.26
• 6.1.27
• 6.1.28
• 6.1.29
• 6.1.30
• 6.1.31
• 6.1.32
• 6.1.33
• 6.1.34
• 6.1.35
• 6.1.36
• 6.1.37
• 6.1.38
• 6.3.0
• 6.3.1
• 6.3.2
• 6.3.3
• 6.3.4
• 6.3.5
• 6.3.6
• 6.3.7
• 6.3.8
• 6.3.9
• 6.3.10
• 6.3.11
• 6.3.12
• 6.4.0
• 6.4.1
• 6.4.2
• 6.4.3

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CPE 2.2info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CVSSv4info

CVSSv3info

CVSSv2info

Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

Discussion