vulnerability

CVE-2023-0386

7.8

High

KEV · Exploited in wildEPSS 8%Patch available

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel, where unauthorized access to the execution of the setuid file with capabilities was found in the Linux kernel’s OverlayFS subsystem in how a user copies a capable file from a nosuid mount into another mount. This uid mapping bug allows a local user to escalate their privileges on the system.

exploited

Yes, in CISA KEV since 17 Jun 2025fix by 8 Jul 2025 (CISA deadline for US federal agencies)public exploit code

fix

Patch available see the advisory in the references

likelihood

EPSS 7.9%

Published 22 Mar 2023Analysed here 2 Nov 2026CVSS scored by CISA

do firstApply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

triage

surface unknownruntimeWAF can block: noAV · localCWE-282· Common Weakness

Can a WAF block it? No. The attack needs local access to the machine, so a WAF is not on its path.

Also consider: patch

Based on the attack vector (local or physical access). We check Cloudflare, AWS, Google Cloud Armor and Azure; for Akamai, Imperva, Fastly, F5, ask your vendor.

cvss vector

attack vectorlocalattack complexitylowprivileges requiredlowuser interactionnonescopeunchangedconfidentialityhighintegrityhighavailabilityhigh

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

common questions

Is CVE-2023-0386 being exploited?

Yes. CVE-2023-0386 appears in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed and reported. Treat it as active rather than theoretical, and patch it ahead of higher-scoring vulnerabilities that carry no exploitation evidence.

How severe is CVE-2023-0386?

CVE-2023-0386 is rated High with a CVSS score of 7.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.

Is there a patch for CVE-2023-0386?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2023-0386. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2023-0386 affect?

CVE-2023-0386 affects debian:debian_linux, netapp:h300s_firmware, netapp:h500s_firmware, netapp:h700s_firmware, and 4 further products or versions. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.

executive summary

technical analysis

affected

debian:debian_linuxnetapp:h300s_firmwarenetapp:h500s_firmwarenetapp:h700s_firmwarenetapp:h410s_firmwarenetapp:h410c_firmwarecanonical:ubuntu_linuxlinux:linux_kernel

affected versions

Kernel

affectedLinux kernel 6.2-rc6

As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.

public exploits

Public exploit code: 1 Metasploit module · 18 GitHub proofs of concept

Metasploit

exploit/linux/local/cve_2023_0386_overlayfs_priv_esc · exploit · excellent

GitHub proofs of concept

+14 more repositories

Listed so you can judge urgency, not as a recommendation to run anything. GitHub “proofs of concept” are unvetted: some are fake or carry malware. Exploit-DB marks the entries its staff verified.

cisa ssvc

exploitation: active
automatable: no
technical impact: total

Assessed by CISA 17 Jul 2025 (SSVC 2.0.3).

timeline

22 Mar 2023Published
20 Apr 2023First public exploit or proof of concept · 28 days later
17 Jun 2025Added to CISA KEV (exploited in the wild) · 789 days (about 2 years) later
8 Jul 2025CISA remediation due date (US federal agencies) · 21 days later
17 Jul 2025CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active · 9 days later
21 Oct 2025CVE record last updated · 97 days (about 3 months) later
2 Nov 2026Analysed by vulneraibility.com · 377 days (about 1 year) later

how to fix

Remediation steps are tailored for users whose stack is affected. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.

references

NVD CVE.org CVE Details Source

7 references in the CVE record: 1 advisory, 6 links

Advisorydebian.org /security/2023/dsa-5402
Linkgit.kernel.org /pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=4f11ada10d0a
Linksecurity.netapp.com /advisory/ntap-20230420-0004/
Linklists.debian.org /debian-lts-announce/2023/06/msg00008.html
Linkpacketstormsecurity.com /files/173087/Kernel-Live-Patch-Security-Notice-LSN-0095-1.html
Linklists.debian.org /debian-lts-announce/2024/06/msg00020.html
Linkcisa.gov /known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-0386

sources

CVE List (CVE.org): description, affected versions, references; CVE Terms of Use
NVD: CVSS and CPE data
CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, due date
CISA Vulnrichment (ADP): SSVC decision points
FIRST EPSS: exploit probability and percentile
Metasploit Framework: exploit and scanner modules
PoC-in-GitHub: GitHub repositories that claim a proof of concept
Summary, impact and triage tags: written by our AI analysis pipeline from the sources above. Check them against the sources.

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