CVE-2023-53234
published 2025-09-15CVE-2023-53234: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: watchdog: Fix kmemleak in watchdog_cdev_register kmemleak reports memory leaks in…
PriorityP419medium5.5CVSS 3.1
AVLACLPRLUINSUCNINAH
EPSS
0.15%
4.4th percentile
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:
[] __kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x157/0x220
[] kmalloc_trace+0x21/0x110
[] watchdog_dev_register+0x4e/0x780 [watchdog]
[] __watchdog_register_device+0x4f0/0x680 [watchdog]
[] watchdog_register_device+0xd2/0x110 [watchdog]
[] 0xffffffffc10880ae
[] do_one_initcall+0xcb/0x4d0
[] do_init_module+0x1ca/0x5f0
[] 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:
[] __kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x157/0x220
[] __kmalloc_node_track_caller+0x44/0x1b0
[] kvasprintf+0xb5/0x140
[] kvasprintf_const+0x55/0x180
[] kobject_set_name_vargs+0x56/0x150
[] dev_set_name+0xab/0xe0
[] watchdog_dev_register+0x285/0x780 [watchdog]
[] __watchdog_register_device+0x4f0/0x680 [watchdog]
[] watchdog_register_device+0xd2/0x110 [watchdog]
[] 0xffffffffc10880ae
[] do_one_initcall+0xcb/0x4d0
[] do_init_module+0x1ca/0x5f0
[] 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.
Affected
27 ranges· showing 25
| Vendor | Product | Version range | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| debian | linux | < linux 6.1.20-1 (bookworm) | linux 6.1.20-1 (bookworm) |
| linux | linux | — | — |
| linux | linux | — | — |
| linux | linux | >= 4.14.182 < 4.14.308 | 4.14.308 |
| linux | linux | >= 4.19.93 < 4.19.276 | 4.19.276 |
| linux | linux | >= 4.9.225 < 4.10 | 4.10 |
| linux | linux | >= 450caf1faa0d7bbbd1da93d3ee8c5edea7bc51a8 < bf26b0e430ce34261f45959989edaf680b64d538 | bf26b0e430ce34261f45959989edaf680b64d538 |
| linux | linux | >= 5.4.8 < 5.4.235 | 5.4.235 |
| linux | linux | >= 72139dfa2464e43957d330266994740bb7be2535 < c5a21a5501508ae3afa2fe6d5a3e74a37fa48df3 | c5a21a5501508ae3afa2fe6d5a3e74a37fa48df3 |
| linux | linux | >= 72139dfa2464e43957d330266994740bb7be2535 < 23cc41c3f19c4d858c3708f1c0a06e94958e6c3b | 23cc41c3f19c4d858c3708f1c0a06e94958e6c3b |
| linux | linux | >= 72139dfa2464e43957d330266994740bb7be2535 < ac099d94e0480c937aa9172ab64074981ca1a4d3 | ac099d94e0480c937aa9172ab64074981ca1a4d3 |
| linux | linux | >= 72139dfa2464e43957d330266994740bb7be2535 < 50808d034e199fe3ff7a9d2068a4eebeb6b4098a | 50808d034e199fe3ff7a9d2068a4eebeb6b4098a |
| linux | linux | >= 72139dfa2464e43957d330266994740bb7be2535 < 13721a2ac66b246f5802ba1b75ad8637e53eeecc | 13721a2ac66b246f5802ba1b75ad8637e53eeecc |
| linux | linux | >= ca7851d46de8a8d69022c4e5feed0820483b5f46 < 59e391b3fc507a15b7e8e9d9f4de87cae177c366 | 59e391b3fc507a15b7e8e9d9f4de87cae177c366 |
| linux | linux | >= f4c36f1999745c2160422fe2f362deadbe3a136b < 8c1655600f4f2839fb844fe8c70b2b65fadc7a56 | 8c1655600f4f2839fb844fe8c70b2b65fadc7a56 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 0 < 5.10.178-1 | 5.10.178-1 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 0 < 6.1.20-1 | 6.1.20-1 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 0 < 6.1.20-1 | 6.1.20-1 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 0 < 6.1.20-1 | 6.1.20-1 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 4.14.182 < 4.14.308 | 4.14.308 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 4.19.93 < 4.19.276 | 4.19.276 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 4.9.225 < 4.10 | 4.10 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 5.11 < 5.15.100 | 5.15.100 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 5.16 < 6.1.18 | 6.1.18 |
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 5.4.8 < 5.4.235 | 5.4.235 |
CVSS provenance
nvdv3.15.5MEDIUMCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
osv5.5MEDIUM
vendor_debian5.5MEDIUM
vendor_redhat5.5MEDIUM
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Red Hat
kernel: watchdog: Fix kmemleak in watchdog_cdev_register
vendor_redhat·2025-09-15·CVSS 5.5
CVE-2023-53234 [MEDIUM] CWE-772 kernel: watchdog: Fix kmemleak in watchdog_cdev_register
kernel: watchdog: Fix kmemleak in watchdog_cdev_register
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:
[] __kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x157/0x220
[] kmalloc_trace+0x21/0x110
[] watchdog_dev_register+0x4e/0x780 [watchdog]
[] __watchdog_register_device+0x4f0/0x680 [watchdog]
[] watchdog_register_device+0xd2/0x110 [watchdog]
[] 0xffffffffc10880ae
[] do_one_initcall+0xcb/0x4d0
[] do
Debian
CVE-2023-53234: linux - In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: watchdog: F...
vendor_debian·2023·CVSS 5.5
CVE-2023-53234 [MEDIUM] CVE-2023-53234: linux - In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: watchdog: F...
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: [] __kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x157/0x220 [] kmalloc_trace+0x21/0x110 [] watchdog_dev_register+0x4e/0x780 [watchdog] [] __watchdog_register_device+0x4f0/0x680 [watchdog] [] watchdog_register_device+0xd2/0x110 [watchdog] [] 0xffffffffc10880ae [] do_one_initcall+0xcb/0x4d0 [] do_init_module+0x1ca/0x5f0 [] load_module+0x6133/0x70f0 ...
OSV
CVE-2023-53234: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: watchdog: Fix kmemleak in watchdog_cdev_register kmemleak reports memory leaks in
osv·2025-09-15·CVSS 5.5
CVE-2023-53234 [MEDIUM] CVE-2023-53234: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: watchdog: Fix kmemleak in watchdog_cdev_register kmemleak reports memory leaks in
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: [] __kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x157/0x220 [] kmalloc_trace+0x21/0x110 [] watchdog_dev_register+0x4e/0x780 [watchdog] [] __watchdog_register_device+0x4f0/0x680 [watchdog] [] watchdog_register_device+0xd2/0x110 [watchdog] [] 0xffffffffc10880ae [] do_one_initcall+0xcb/0x4d0 [] do_init_module+0x1ca/0x5f0 [] load_module+0x6133/0x70f0 ...
GHSA
GHSA-44g3-hwmh-jx63: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
watchdog: Fix kmemleak in watchdog_cdev_register
kmemleak reports memory leaks i
ghsa_unreviewed·2025-09-15
CVE-2023-53234 [MEDIUM] CWE-401 GHSA-44g3-hwmh-jx63: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
watchdog: Fix kmemleak in watchdog_cdev_register
kmemleak reports memory leaks i
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:
[] __kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x157/0x220
[] kmalloc_trace+0x21/0x110
[] watchdog_dev_register+0x4e/0x780 [watchdog]
[] __watchdog_register_device+0x4f0/0x680 [watchdog]
[] watchdog_register_device+0xd2/0x110 [watchdog]
[] 0xffffffffc10880ae
[] do_one_initcall+0xcb/0x4d0
[] do_init_module+0x1ca/0x5f0
[] load_module+0x6133/0x70f0
..
No detection rules found.
No public exploits indexed.
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/13721a2ac66b246f5802ba1b75ad8637e53eeecchttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/23cc41c3f19c4d858c3708f1c0a06e94958e6c3bhttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/50808d034e199fe3ff7a9d2068a4eebeb6b4098ahttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/59e391b3fc507a15b7e8e9d9f4de87cae177c366https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c1655600f4f2839fb844fe8c70b2b65fadc7a56https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ac099d94e0480c937aa9172ab64074981ca1a4d3https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf26b0e430ce34261f45959989edaf680b64d538https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c5a21a5501508ae3afa2fe6d5a3e74a37fa48df3
2025-09-15
Published