CVE-2023-6238

Name: CVE-2023-6238
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2023-11-21T21:15:09.273+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.7/10EPSS 0.29%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2023-6238 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.7/10 on the CVSS scale. A buffer overflow vulnerability was found in the NVM Express (NVMe) driver in the Linux kernel. Only privileged user could specify a small meta buffer and let the device perform larger Direct Memory Access (DMA) into the same buffer, overwriting unrelated kernel memory, causing random kernel crashes and memory corruption.. EPSS estimates a 0.29% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A buffer overflow vulnerability was found in the NVM Express (NVMe) driver in the Linux kernel. Only privileged user could specify a small meta buffer and let the device perform larger Direct Memory Access (DMA) into the same buffer, overwriting unrelated kernel memory, causing random kernel crashes and memory corruption.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.7/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.29%

20.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	All versions
Fedoraproject	Fedora	38

References

https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-6238Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2250834Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-6238Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2250834Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Nov 21, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-6238?

How severe is CVE-2023-6238?

CVE-2023-6238 has a CVSS score of 6.7/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.29% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-6238?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2023-6238?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST