# CVE-2023-4387: Kernel: vmxnet3: use-after-free in vmxnet3_rq_alloc_rx_buf()

Status: published. Published: 2023-08-16. Updated: 2026-11-07.

A use-after-free flaw was found in vmxnet3_rq_alloc_rx_buf in drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_drv.c in VMware's vmxnet3 ethernet NIC driver in the Linux Kernel. This issue could allow a local attacker to crash the system due to a double-free while cleaning up vmxnet3_rq_cleanup_all, which could also lead to a kernel information leak problem.

## Remediation

- workaround: Mitigation for this issue is to skip loading the affected module "vmxnet3" onto the system until the fix is available, this can be done by a blacklist mechanism which will ensure the driver is not loaded at the boot time.
~~~
How do I blacklist a kernel module to prevent it from loading automatically?
https://access.redhat.com/solutions/41278 
~~~ (source: CNA: redhat)

## Affected products and versions

- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (kernel): ≥ 0:4.18.0-425.3.1.el8; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (kernel): ≥ 0:5.14.0-162.6.1.el9_1; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 (kernel): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 (kernel): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 (kernel-rt): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (kernel-rt): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (kernel-rt): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 7.1 (high); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H; source: CNA: redhat

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.24% as of 2026-11-07; percentile 15.45%

- SSVC: Not available

- Weaknesses: CWE-416

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2022:7683 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2022:8267 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-4387 (CNA: redhat; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2219270 (CNA: redhat; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/9e7fef9521e73ca8afd7da9e58c14654b02dfad8 (CNA: redhat)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-4387 (ADP: CVE; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2219270 (ADP: CVE; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred)

- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/9e7fef9521e73ca8afd7da9e58c14654b02dfad8 (ADP: CVE; x_transferred)

## Provenance

- CNA: redhat: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-4387; retrieved 2026-11-07; source updated 2026-11-07

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2023-4387; retrieved 2026-11-07; source updated Not reported

Revision: dfe216ea6f6066ae6b141ba4beb10d5e4c776c60c947c4d4a2982bb93c89ea69

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2023-4387

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