CVE-2023-54081

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xen: speed up grant-table reclaim When a grant entry is still in use by the remote domain, Linux must put it on a deferred list. Normally, this list is very short, because the PV network and block protocols expect the backend to unmap the grant first. However, Qubes OS's GUI protocol is subject to the constraints of the X Window System, and as such winds up with the frontend unmapping the window first. As a result, the list can grow very large, resulting in a massive memory leak and eventual VM freeze. To partially solve this problem, make the number of entries that the VM will attempt to free at each iteration tunable. The default is still 10, but it can be overridden via a module parameter. This is Cc: stable because (when combined with appropriate userspace changes) it fixes a severe performance and stability problem for Qubes OS users.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-12-24
Last modified 2026-04-15
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 3.5 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.1.43, 6.4.8, 6.5 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 3.5
Fixed in
✓ 6.1.43 6.1.x ✓ 6.4.8 6.4.x ✓ 6.5

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2023-54081 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-2023-54081?

    CVE-2023-54081 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.5 onward and has been patched in 6.1.43, 6.4.8 and 6.5. CVE-2023-54081 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2023-54081?

    Yes — CVE-2023-54081 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.43, 6.4.8 and 6.5. If you are running Linux kernel 3.5 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2023-54081 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2023-54081 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.