CVE-2023-53649
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-10-07
Last updated on: 2026-02-03
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 | 5.14 |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.2 (inc) to 6.5.4 (inc) |
| linux | kernel | * |
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
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability, update the Linux kernel to a version that includes the fix which properly frees the evsel->priv area in perf trace. This fix stops conditional freeing based on the tp system string and ensures all allocated memory is freed, preventing leaks. Until the update is applied, avoid using the affected perf trace functionality or monitor for memory leaks during its use.
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a memory leak in the Linux kernel's perf trace tool. Specifically, the evsel->priv area was not being properly freed under certain conditions due to a logic error in the code that only freed memory if a specific string comparison returned zero, while initialization happened under the opposite condition. This caused memory allocated for event selectors to leak. The fix ensures that the allocated memory is always freed if it was set, preventing these leaks.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
The impact of this vulnerability is that it causes memory leaks when using the perf trace tool in the Linux kernel. Over time, these leaks could lead to increased memory usage and potentially degrade system performance or stability, especially if perf trace is used frequently or in long-running sessions.
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by observing memory leaks related to the perf trace tool in the Linux kernel. Using AddressSanitizer during a build and running perf trace commands such as 'perf trace sleep 1' can reveal memory leaks similar to those described. The example command to detect leaks is: $ make EXTRA_CFLAGS="-fsanitize=address" BUILD_BPF_SKEL=1 CORESIGHT=1 O=/tmp/build/perf-tools-next -C tools/perf install-bin Then run: $ perf trace sleep 1 and check for AddressSanitizer leak reports.