CVE-2023-53278

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ubifs: Fix memory leak in ubifs_sysfs_init() When insmod ubifs.ko, a kmemleak reported as below: unreferenced object 0xffff88817fb1a780 (size 8): comm "insmod", pid 25265, jiffies 4295239702 (age 100.130s) hex dump (first 8 bytes): 75 62 69 66 73 00 ff ff ubifs... backtrace: [<ffffffff81b3fc4c>] slab_post_alloc_hook+0x9c/0x3c0 [<ffffffff81b44bf3>] __kmalloc_track_caller+0x183/0x410 [<ffffffff8198d3da>] kstrdup+0x3a/0x80 [<ffffffff8198d486>] kstrdup_const+0x66/0x80 [<ffffffff83989325>] kvasprintf_const+0x155/0x190 [<ffffffff83bf55bb>] kobject_set_name_vargs+0x5b/0x150 [<ffffffff83bf576b>] kobject_set_name+0xbb/0xf0 [<ffffffff8100204c>] do_one_initcall+0x14c/0x5a0 [<ffffffff8157e380>] do_init_module+0x1f0/0x660 [<ffffffff815857be>] load_module+0x6d7e/0x7590 [<ffffffff8158644f>] __do_sys_finit_module+0x19f/0x230 [<ffffffff815866b3>] __x64_sys_finit_module+0x73/0xb0 [<ffffffff88c98e85>] do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 [<ffffffff88e00087>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd When kset_register() failed, we should call kset_put to cleanup it.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-09-16
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-2023-53278 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 5.17 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.1.18, 6.2.5, 6.3 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.17
Fixed in
✓ 6.1.18 6.1.x ✓ 6.2.5 6.2.x ✓ 6.3

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2023-53278 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2023-53278?

    CVE-2023-53278 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 5.17 onward and has been patched in 6.1.18, 6.2.5 and 6.3. CVE-2023-53278 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2023-53278?

    CVE-2023-53278 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-2023-53278?

    Yes — CVE-2023-53278 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.18, 6.2.5 and 6.3. If you are running Linux kernel 5.17 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2023-53278 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2023-53278 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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