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CVE-2023-5380VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2023-5380: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 · Use After Free

Affects Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7Source CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.7 Medium.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
4.7Medium
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 52% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 25 Oct 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: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

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

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

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

What to do

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2023-5380, organizations should first identify any systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 with multi-screen configurations using Zaphod mode. Since this is a legacy and uncommon setup, auditing graphical server configurations is critical. Avoid using Zaphod mode if possible, or reconfigure to single-screen or standard multi-screen modes that do not involve multiple protocol screens. Monitor Red Hat security advisories closely for patches addressing this vulnerability and apply updates promptly once available. In environments where patching is delayed, consider restricting local access to trusted users only, as exploitation requires local low-privilege access. Additionally, implement system monitoring to detect unusual X server crashes that could indicate attempted exploitation. For critical systems, consider migrating to newer Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions or alternative graphical server implementations that do not exhibit this vulnerability. Document and test any configuration changes in controlled environments before deployment to avoid unintended service disruptions.

Description

A use-after-free flaw was found in the xorg-x11-server. An X server crash may occur in a very specific and legacy configuration (a multi-screen setup with multiple protocol screens, also known as Zaphod mode) if the pointer is warped from within a window on one screen to the root window of the other screen and if the original window is destroyed followed by another window being destroyed.

References

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