CVE-2023-53279
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-09-16
Last updated on: 2025-12-02
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | to 5.15.100 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.16 (inc) to 6.1.18 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.2 (inc) to 6.2.5 (exc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-401 | The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a memory leak in the Linux kernel's vmw_balloon component. It occurs because when calling the function debugfs_lookup(), the returned result is not properly released using dput(), causing memory to leak over time. The fix involves using debugfs_lookup_and_remove() instead, which handles the release automatically.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
The memory leak caused by this vulnerability can lead to increased memory usage over time, potentially degrading system performance or causing resource exhaustion if the leak is significant and persistent.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability, update the Linux kernel to a version where the vmw_balloon driver uses debugfs_lookup_and_remove() instead of debugfs_lookup() to prevent the memory leak. This ensures proper handling of the debugfs lookup result and avoids memory leaks over time.