CVE-2023-53396

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ubifs: Fix memory leak in do_rename If renaming a file in an encrypted directory, function fscrypt_setup_filename allocates memory for a file name. This name is never used, and before returning to the caller the memory for it is not freed. When running kmemleak on it we see that it is registered as a leak. The report below is triggered by a simple program 'rename' that renames a file in an encrypted directory: unreferenced object 0xffff888101502840 (size 32): comm "rename", pid 9404, jiffies 4302582475 (age 435.735s) backtrace: __kmem_cache_alloc_node __kmalloc fscrypt_setup_filename do_rename ubifs_rename vfs_rename do_renameat2 To fix this we can remove the call to fscrypt_setup_filename as it's not needed.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-09-18
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-2023-53396 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 5.15.33, 5.16.19, 5.17.2, 5.18 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.15.112, 6.1.28, 6.2.15, 6.3.2, 6.4 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.15.33 ≥ 5.16.19 ≥ 5.17.2 ≥ 5.18
Fixed in
✓ 5.15.112 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.28 6.1.x ✓ 6.2.15 6.2.x ✓ 6.3.2 6.3.x ✓ 6.4

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2023-53396 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

5 patch commits total View all on NVD

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2023-53396?

    CVE-2023-53396 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 5.15.33 onward and has been patched in 5.15.112, 6.1.28, 6.2.15 and others. CVE-2023-53396 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2023-53396?

    CVE-2023-53396 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-2023-53396?

    Yes — CVE-2023-53396 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.15.112, 6.1.28, 6.2.15 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.15.33 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2023-53396 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2023-53396 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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