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CVE-2023-0266VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2023-0266: Linux Kernel · Use After Free

Affects Linux KernelSource CVE Database V5

0

Exploited in the wild · KEV due 20 Apr 2023 · 3% EPSS : apply the vendor's fix or mitigations to Linux Kernel now.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.9High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
KEV deadline
 US federal agencies must patch by this date; a sensible deadline for everyone else.
EPSS
3.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 89% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

t = 0 is the CVE’s publication on cve.org

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 30 Jan 2023

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: evidence found.

    Listed in CISA KEV 59 days after disclosure

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

Timeline

  1. CVE ID reserved

    by Google

    , 17 days before disclosure

  2. CVE published

    on cve.org

    , t = 0

  3. , 59 days after disclosure

  4. KEV remediation due

    US federal deadline

    , 80 days after disclosure

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), CISA KEV (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.

What to do

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
GitHubtorvalds/linuxpkg:github/torvalds/linuxOther threatsAffected
  • =4.14
Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

Description

A use after free vulnerability exists in the ALSA PCM package in the Linux Kernel. SNDRV_CTL_IOCTL_ELEM_{READ|WRITE}32 is missing locks that can be used in a use-after-free that can result in a priviledge escalation to gain ring0 access from the system user. We recommend upgrading past commit 56b88b50565cd8b946a2d00b0c83927b7ebb055e

References

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