Linux Kernel up to 6.4.11 net virtio_net_hdr_to_skb null pointer dereference

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4.6$0-$5k0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability labeled as critical has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.4.11. Impacted is the function virtio_net_hdr_to_skb of the component net. The manipulation results in null pointer dereference. This vulnerability is cataloged as CVE-2023-54051. There is no exploit available. The affected component should be upgraded.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.4.11. Affected is the function virtio_net_hdr_to_skb of the component net. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a null pointer dereference vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-476. A NULL pointer dereference occurs when the application dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid, but is NULL, typically causing a crash or exit. This is going to have an impact on availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: do not allow gso_size to be set to GSO_BY_FRAGS One missing check in virtio_net_hdr_to_skb() allowed syzbot to crash kernels again [1] Do not allow gso_size to be set to GSO_BY_FRAGS (0xffff), because this magic value is used by the kernel. [1] general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xdffffc000000000e: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP KASAN KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000070-0x0000000000000077] CPU: 0 PID: 5039 Comm: syz-executor401 Not tainted 6.5.0-rc5-next-20230809-syzkaller #0 Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 07/26/2023 RIP: 0010:skb_segment+0x1a52/0x3ef0 net/core/skbuff.c:4500 Code: 00 00 00 e9 ab eb ff ff e8 6b 96 5d f9 48 8b 84 24 00 01 00 00 48 8d 78 70 48 b8 00 00 00 00 00 fc ff df 48 89 fa 48 c1 ea 03 <0f> b6 04 02 84 c0 74 08 3c 03 0f 8e ea 21 00 00 48 8b 84 24 00 01 RSP: 0018:ffffc90003d3f1c8 EFLAGS: 00010202 RAX: dffffc0000000000 RBX: 000000000001fffe RCX: 0000000000000000 RDX: 000000000000000e RSI: ffffffff882a3115 RDI: 0000000000000070 RBP: ffffc90003d3f378 R08: 0000000000000005 R09: 000000000000ffff R10: 000000000000ffff R11: 5ee4a93e456187d6 R12: 000000000001ffc6 R13: dffffc0000000000 R14: 0000000000000008 R15: 000000000000ffff FS: 00005555563f2380(0000) GS:ffff8880b9800000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 0000000020020000 CR3: 000000001626d000 CR4: 00000000003506f0 DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000 DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400 Call Trace: <TASK> udp6_ufo_fragment+0x9d2/0xd50 net/ipv6/udp_offload.c:109 ipv6_gso_segment+0x5c4/0x17b0 net/ipv6/ip6_offload.c:120 skb_mac_gso_segment+0x292/0x610 net/core/gso.c:53 __skb_gso_segment+0x339/0x710 net/core/gso.c:124 skb_gso_segment include/net/gso.h:83 [inline] validate_xmit_skb+0x3a5/0xf10 net/core/dev.c:3625 __dev_queue_xmit+0x8f0/0x3d60 net/core/dev.c:4329 dev_queue_xmit include/linux/netdevice.h:3082 [inline] packet_xmit+0x257/0x380 net/packet/af_packet.c:276 packet_snd net/packet/af_packet.c:3087 [inline] packet_sendmsg+0x24c7/0x5570 net/packet/af_packet.c:3119 sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:727 [inline] sock_sendmsg+0xd9/0x180 net/socket.c:750 ____sys_sendmsg+0x6ac/0x940 net/socket.c:2496 ___sys_sendmsg+0x135/0x1d0 net/socket.c:2550 __sys_sendmsg+0x117/0x1e0 net/socket.c:2579 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x38/0xb0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd RIP: 0033:0x7ff27cdb34d9

The advisory is available at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is traded as CVE-2023-54051 since 12/24/2025. The exploitability is told to be difficult. Technical details are known, but there is no available exploit.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 279969 (Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2023-54051), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 4.14.324, 4.19.293, 5.4.255, 5.10.192, 5.15.128, 6.1.47 or 6.4.12 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch a5f9e5804d239d288d983db36bbed45ed10729a0/4c9bfadb4301daaceb6c575fa6ad3bc82c152e79/210ff31342ade546d8d9d0ec4d3cf9cb50ae632d/0a593e8a9d24360fbc469c5897d0791aa2f20ed3/578371ce0d7f67ea1e65817c04478aaab0d36b68/2e03a92b241102aaf490439aa1b00239f84f530f/e3636862f5595b3d2f02650f7b21d39043a34f3e/b616be6b97688f2f2bd7c4a47ab32f27f94fb2a9 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 Tenable (279969) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2929). If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.

Affected

  • Open Source Linux Kernel

Productinfo

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CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 4.8
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 4.6

VulDB Base Score: 4.8
VulDB Temp Score: 4.6
VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv2info

AVACAuCIA
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VectorComplexityAuthenticationConfidentialityIntegrityAvailability
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VulDB Base Score: 🔒
VulDB Temp Score: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Null pointer dereference
CWE: CWE-476 / CWE-404
CAPEC: 🔒
ATT&CK: 🔒

Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Partially

Availability: 🔒
Status: Not defined

EPSS Score: 🔒
EPSS Percentile: 🔒

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔒

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Nessus ID: 279969
Nessus Name: Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2023-54051

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Upgrade
Status: 🔍

0-Day Time: 🔒

Upgrade: Kernel 4.14.324/4.19.293/5.4.255/5.10.192/5.15.128/6.1.47/6.4.12
Patch: a5f9e5804d239d288d983db36bbed45ed10729a0/4c9bfadb4301daaceb6c575fa6ad3bc82c152e79/210ff31342ade546d8d9d0ec4d3cf9cb50ae632d/0a593e8a9d24360fbc469c5897d0791aa2f20ed3/578371ce0d7f67ea1e65817c04478aaab0d36b68/2e03a92b241102aaf490439aa1b00239f84f530f/e3636862f5595b3d2f02650f7b21d39043a34f3e/b616be6b97688f2f2bd7c4a47ab32f27f94fb2a9

Timelineinfo

12/24/2025 Advisory disclosed
12/24/2025 +0 days CVE reserved
12/24/2025 +0 days VulDB entry created
12/30/2025 +6 days VulDB entry last update

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: kernel.org

Advisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed

CVE: CVE-2023-54051 (🔒)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2023-54051
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-337914
CERT Bund: WID-SEC-2025-2929 - Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen

Entryinfo

Created: 12/24/2025 14:07
Updated: 12/30/2025 04:00
Changes: 12/24/2025 14:07 (59), 12/25/2025 14:21 (1), 12/26/2025 04:02 (2), 12/30/2025 04:00 (7)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.

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