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TI-2023-29526 Aliases CVE-2023-53234GHSA-44g3-hwmh-jx63

watchdog: Fix kmemleak in watchdog_cdev_register

Priority LOW 24CWE-401Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Denial of service
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · None · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 3 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-401.

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: watchdog: Fix kmemleak in watchdog_cdev_register kmemleak reports memory leaks in watchdog_dev_register, as follows: unreferenced object 0xffff888116233000 (size 2048): comm ""modprobe"", pid 28147, jiffies 4353426116 (age 61.741s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 80 fa b9 05 81 88 ff ff 08 30 23 16 81 88 ff ff .........0#..... 08 30 23 16 81 88 ff ff 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 .0#............. backtrace: [<000000007f001ffd>] __kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x157/0x220 [<000000006a389304>] kmalloc_trace+0x21/0x110 [<000000008d640eea>] watchdog_dev_register+0x4e/0x780 [watchdog] [<0000000053c9f248>] __watchdog_register_device+0x4f0/0x680 [watchdog] [<00000000b2979824>] watchdog_register_device+0xd2/0x110 [watchdog] [<000000001f730178>] 0xffffffffc10880ae [<000000007a1a8bcc>] do_one_initcall+0xcb/0x4d0 [<00000000b98be325>] do_init_module+0x1ca/0x5f0 [<0000000046d08e7c>] load_module+0x6133/0x70f0 ... unreferenced object 0xffff888105b9fa80 (size 16): comm ""modprobe"", pid 28147, jiffies 4353426116 (age 61.741s) hex dump (first 16 bytes): 77 61 74 63 68 64 6f 67 31 00 b9 05 81 88 ff ff watchdog1....... backtrace: [<000000007f001ffd>] __kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x157/0x220 [<00000000486ab89b>] __kmalloc_node_track_caller+0x44/0x1b0 [<000000005a39aab0>] kvasprintf+0xb5/0x140 [<0000000024806f85>] kvasprintf_const+0x55/0x180 [<000000009276cb7f>] kobject_set_name_vargs+0x56/0x150 [<00000000a92e820b>] dev_set_name+0xab/0xe0 [<00000000cec812c6>] watchdog_dev_register+0x285/0x780 [watchdog] [<0000000053c9f248>] __watchdog_register_device+0x4f0/0x680 [watchdog] [<00000000b2979824>] watchdog_register_device+0xd2/0x110 [watchdog] [<000000001f730178>] 0xffffffffc10880ae [<000000007a1a8bcc>] do_one_initcall+0xcb/0x4d0 [<00000000b98be325>] do_init_module+0x1ca/0x5f0 [<0000000046d08e7c>] load_module+0x6133/0x70f0 ... The reason is that put_device is not be called if cdev_device_add fails and wdd->id != 0. watchdog_cdev_register wd_data = kzalloc [1] err = dev_set_name [2] .. err = cdev_device_add if (err) { if (wdd->id == 0) { // wdd->id != 0 .. } return err; // [1],[2] would be leaked To fix it, call put_device in all wdd->id cases.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.0016 5th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 4.14.308, 4.19.276, 5.4.235 +6Red Hat: 3 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux4.14.182 to before 4.14.308; 4.19.93 to before 4.19.276; 5.4.8 to before 5.4.235; 4.9.225 to before 4.104.14.308, 4.19.276, 5.4.235, 4.10Patch availableCNA
LinuxLinux5.5 and later4.14.308, 4.19.276, 5.4.235, 5.10.173, 5.15.100, 6.1.18, 6.2.5, 6.3Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 4.14.182 to before 4.14.308; 4.19.93 to before 4.19.276; 5.4.8 to before 5.4.235; 4.9.225 to before 4.10 Fixed in 4.14.308, 4.19.276, 5.4.235, 4.10 Patch available CNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.5 and later Fixed in 4.14.308, 4.19.276, 5.4.235, 5.10.173, 5.15.100, 6.1.18, 6.2.5, 6.3 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*4.9.225 to before 4.10; 4.14.182 to before 4.14.308; 4.19.93 to before 4.19.276; 5.4.8 to before 5.4.235; 5.5 to before 5.10.173; 5.11 to before 5.15.100; 5.16 to before 6.1.18; 6.2 to before 6.2.5VulnerableLinux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 4.9.225 to before 4.10; 4.14.182 to before 4.14.308; 4.19.93 to before 4.19.276; 5.4.8 to before 5.4.235; 5.5 to before 5.10.173; 5.11 to before 5.15.100; 5.16 to before 6.1.18; 6.2 to before 6.2.5 Vulnerable ·Linux

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.14.308, 4.19.276, 5.4.235, 4.10
  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.14.308, 4.19.276, 5.4.235, 5.10.173, 5.15.100, 6.1.18, 6.2.5, 6.3

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Not affected: 2 products
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-53234
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-44g3-hwmh-jx63

References

Patch 8

  • TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
See all 15278 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences