CVE-2023-53221

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix memleak due to fentry attach failure If it fails to attach fentry, the allocated bpf trampoline image will be left in the system. That can be verified by checking /proc/kallsyms. This meamleak can be verified by a simple bpf program as follows: SEC("fentry/trap_init") int fentry_run() { return 0; } It will fail to attach trap_init because this function is freed after kernel init, and then we can find the trampoline image is left in the system by checking /proc/kallsyms. $ tail /proc/kallsyms ffffffffc0613000 t bpf_trampoline_6442453466_1 [bpf] ffffffffc06c3000 t bpf_trampoline_6442453466_1 [bpf] $ bpftool btf dump file /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux | grep "FUNC 'trap_init'" [2522] FUNC 'trap_init' type_id=119 linkage=static $ echo $((6442453466 & 0x7fffffff)) 2522 Note that there are two left bpf trampoline images, that is because the libbpf will fallback to raw tracepoint if -EINVAL is returned.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-09-15
Last modified 2026-01-14
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-401

CVE-2023-53221 is a Memory Leak vulnerability

What is Memory Leak?

The product does not release memory after use, causing gradual resource exhaustion. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.10.28, 5.11.11, 5.12 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.1.39, 6.3.13, 6.4.4, 6.5 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.10.28 ≥ 5.11.11 ≥ 5.12
Fixed in
✓ 6.1.39 6.1.x ✓ 6.3.13 6.3.x ✓ 6.4.4 6.4.x ✓ 6.5

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2023-53221 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

4 patch commits total View all on NVD

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2023-53221?

    CVE-2023-53221 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a Memory Leak flaw (CWE-401) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.10.28 onward and has been patched in 6.1.39, 6.3.13, 6.4.4 and others. CVE-2023-53221 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2023-53221?

    CVE-2023-53221 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2023-53221?

    Yes — CVE-2023-53221 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.39, 6.3.13, 6.4.4 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.10.28 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2023-53221 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2023-53221 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is Memory Leak (CWE-401)?

    The product does not release memory after use, causing gradual resource exhaustion. View CWE-401 on MITRE CWE →

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