# CVE-2023-4459: Kernel: vmxnet3: null pointer dereference in vmxnet3_rq_cleanup() Status: published. Published: 2023-08-21. Updated: 2026-11-07. A NULL pointer dereference flaw was found in vmxnet3_rq_cleanup in drivers/net/vmxnet3/vmxnet3_drv.c in the networking sub-component in vmxnet3 in the Linux Kernel. This issue may allow a local attacker with normal user privilege to cause a denial of service due to a missing sanity check during cleanup. ## Remediation - workaround: In order to mitigate this issue, prevent the affected code from being loaded by blacklisting the kernel module "vmxnet3". For instructions relating to how to blacklist a kernel module refer to: https://access.redhat.com/solutions/41278 ~~~ Exploiting this flaw will require CAP_NET_ADMIN access privilege in any user or network namespace. ~~~ (source: CNA: redhat) ## Affected products and versions - Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Advanced Update Support (kernel): ≥ 0:4.18.0-193.133.1.el8_2; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat - Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Telecommunications Update Service (kernel-rt): ≥ 0:4.18.0-193.133.1.rt13.184.el8_2; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat - Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Telecommunications Update Service (kernel): ≥ 0:4.18.0-193.133.1.el8_2; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat - Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Update Services for SAP Solutions (kernel): ≥ 0:4.18.0-193.133.1.el8_2; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat - Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support (kernel): ≥ 0:4.18.0-305.125.1.el8_4; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat - Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service (kernel-rt): ≥ 0:4.18.0-305.125.1.rt7.201.el8_4; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat - Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service (kernel): ≥ 0:4.18.0-305.125.1.el8_4; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat - Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions (kernel): ≥ 0:4.18.0-305.125.1.el8_4; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat - Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Extended Update Support (kernel): ≥ 0:4.18.0-372.87.1.el8_6; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat - Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Extended Update Support (kernel): ≥ 0:5.14.0-70.93.2.el9_0; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat - Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Extended Update Support (kernel-rt): ≥ 0:5.14.0-70.93.1.rt21.165.el9_0; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat - Red Hat / Red Hat Virtualization 4 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (kernel): ≥ 0:4.18.0-372.87.1.el8_6; < * (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): 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): 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: 5.5 (medium); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H; source: CNA: redhat - CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources - EPSS: 0.25% as of 2026-11-06; percentile 16.35% - SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact partial; source ADP: CISA-ADP - Weaknesses: CWE-476 ## Exploit evidence No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation. ## References - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:0412 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT) - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:1250 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT) - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:1306 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT) - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:1367 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT) - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:1382 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT) - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:2006 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT) - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:2008 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT) - https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-4459 (CNA: redhat; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT) - https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2219268 (CNA: redhat; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT) - https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/edf410cb74dc612fd47ef5be319c5a0bcd6e6ccd (CNA: redhat) - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:0412 (ADP: CVE; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred) - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:1250 (ADP: CVE; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred) - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:1306 (ADP: CVE; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred) - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:1367 (ADP: CVE; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred) - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:1382 (ADP: CVE; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred) - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:2006 (ADP: CVE; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred) - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:2008 (ADP: CVE; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred) - https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-4459 (ADP: CVE; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred) - https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2219268 (ADP: CVE; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred) - https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/edf410cb74dc612fd47ef5be319c5a0bcd6e6ccd (ADP: CVE; x_transferred) ## Provenance - CNA: redhat: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-4459; retrieved 2026-11-07; source updated 2026-11-07 - FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2023-4459; retrieved 2026-11-07; source updated Not reported Revision: 0db3ab3937ddc0dd304f104f6d2fcbddf02badfd46627371c888d89b300e2cc7 Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2023-4459 ## Agent and API access Public CVE pages, Markdown, and JSON are free to read without an account or API key. - Public catalog: https://y2.dev/cve/index.json. 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