Description
On Ubuntu kernels carrying both c914c0e27eb0 and "UBUNTU: SAUCE: overlayfs: Skip permission checking for trusted.overlayfs.* xattrs", an unprivileged user may set privileged extended attributes on the mounted files, leading them to be set on the upper files without the appropriate security checks.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canonical | Ubuntu Kernel | — | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 22.04 LTS | linux-bluefield | 5.15.0-1090.92 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-aws-6.14 +5 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux +1 | 5.15.0-177.187 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-aws | 5.15.0-1106.113 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-aws-5.19 | 5.19.0-1029.30~22.04.1 | USN-6260-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-aws-6.2 +1 | 6.2.0-1008.8~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-azure | 5.15.0-1111.120 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-azure-fde | 5.15.0-1114.123 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-gcp | 5.15.0-1106.115 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-gcp-5.19 | 5.19.0-1030.32~22.04.1 | USN-6260-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-gcp-6.2 | 6.2.0-1010.10~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-gke | 5.15.0-1102.108 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-gkeop | 5.15.0-1089.97 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-hwe-5.19 | 5.19.0-50.50 | USN-6260-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-hwe-6.2 | 6.2.0-26.26~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-ibm +1 | 5.15.0-1100.103 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-intel-iotg | 5.15.0-1101.107 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-kvm | 5.15.0-1098.103 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 | 5.19.0-1030.30 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2 | 6.2.0-1009.9~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia | 5.15.0-1101.102 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-6.2 | 6.2.0-1009.9 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra | 5.15.0-1058.58 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra-igx | 5.15.0-1047.47 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-oem-6.0 | 6.0.0-1020.20 | USN-6248-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-oem-6.1 | 6.1.0-1019.19 | USN-6285-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-oracle | 5.15.0-1103.109 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-riscv +15 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-xilinx-zynqmp | 5.15.0-1070.74 | USN-8275-1 |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-riscv +25 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | linux-gcp +14 | No fix yet | — |
Show 15 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux-hwe-edge | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime-6.14 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS | linux-intel-iot-realtime | 5.15.0-1098.100 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS | linux-realtime | 5.15.0-1105.114 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 20.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 18.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 16.04 LTS | linux-fips | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-aws-fips | 5.15.0-1106.113+fips1 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-azure-fips | 5.15.0-1111.120+fips1 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-fips | 5.15.0-177.187+fips1 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-gcp-fips | 5.15.0-1106.115+fips1 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 20.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 18.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 16.04 LTS | linux-fips | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-preview 22.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux +10 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux-aws-5.15 | 5.15.0-1106.113~20.04.1 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux-azure-5.15 | 5.15.0-1111.120~20.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux-gcp-5.15 | 5.15.0-1106.115~20.04.1 | USN-8297-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux-hwe-5.15 +1 | 5.15.0-177.187~20.04.1 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux-ibm-5.15 | 5.15.0-1100.103~20.04.1 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux-intel-iotg-5.15 | 5.15.0-1101.107~20.04.1 | USN-8255-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15 | 5.15.0-1058.58~20.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux-oracle-5.15 | 5.15.0-1104.110~20.04.1 | USN-8439-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux-riscv-5.15 | 5.15.0-1100.104~20.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | linux +12 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | linux +7 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | linux +3 | No fix yet | — |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.
Metasploit 1 module
-
GameOver(lay) Privilege Escalation and Container Escape
exploit/linux/local/gameoverlay_privesc
GitHub 10 repositories
-
g1vi/CVE-2023-2640-CVE-2023-32629 ★ 137 · Oct 9, 2023
GameOver(lay) Ubuntu Privilege Escalation
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luanoliveira350/GameOverlayFS ★ 17 · Sep 17, 2023
GameoverlayFS (CVE-2023-2640 and CVE-2023-32629) exploit in Shell Script tested on Ubuntu 20.04 Kernel 5.4.0
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OllaPapito/gameoverlay ★ 13 · Aug 15, 2023
CVE-2023-2640 CVE-2023-32629
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musorblyat/CVE-2023-2640-CVE-2023-32629 ★ 2 · Nov 2, 2023
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K5LK/CVE-2023-2640-32629 ★ 1 · May 21, 2024
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Nkipohcs/CVE-2023-2640-CVE-2023-32629 ★ 1 · Mar 19, 2024
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SanjayRagavendar/Ubuntu-GameOver-Lay ★ 1 · Feb 29, 2024
Escalating Privilege using CVE-2023-2640 CVE-2023-3262
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WhatsWrongAndWhy/CVE-2023-2640-CVE-2023-32629 ★ 0 · Jul 22, 2026
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amar-imamovic/CVE-2023-2640-CVE-2023-32629-Interactive-PoC ★ 0 · Jun 10, 2026
A clean, interactive multi-step Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) exploit for Ubuntu OverlayFS (GameOver(lay)) that escapes the user namespace sandbox to drop a true host root shell.
-
z3usx01/CVE-2023-2640-3262-PoC ★ 0 · Apr 4, 2026
POC exploits demonstrating OverlayFS-based local privilege escalation vulnerabilities in Ubuntu (CVE-2023-2640 & CVE-2023-3262)
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 8
- USN-8297-1 linux-gcp-5.15 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 4, 2026
- USN-8275-1 linux-xilinx-zynqmp vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 4, 2026
- USN-8439-1 linux-oracle-5.15 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 29, 2026
- USN-6260-1 linux-aws-5.19, linux-gcp-5.19, linux-hwe-5.19 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 22, 2026
- USN-6285-1 linux-oem-6.1 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 22, 2026
- USN-6248-1 linux-oem-6.0 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 22, 2026
- USN-8255-1 linux, linux-aws, linux-aws-5.15, linux-aws-fips, linux-azure, linux-azure-fips, linux-fips, linux-gcp, linux-gcp-fips, linux-gke, linux-gkeop, linux-hwe-5.15, linux-ibm, linux-ibm-5.15, linux-intel-iot-realtime, linux-intel-iotg, linux-intel-iotg-5.15, linux-kvm, linux-lowlatency, linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15, linux-nvidia, linux-nvidia-tegra, linux-nvidia-tegra-igx, linux-oracle, linux-realtime vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 8, 2026
- WID-SEC-2023-1903 Ubuntu Linux: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · May 18, 2026
References
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6250-1 vendor-advisory
- https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-2640 issue-tracking
- https://wiz.io/blog/ubuntu-overlayfs-vulnerability technical-description
- https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/kernel-team/2023-July/140923.html mailing-list