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CVE Record

CVE-2023-53468: ubifs: Fix memory leak in alloc_wbufs()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ubifs: Fix memory leak in alloc_wbufs() kmemleak reported a sequence of memory leaks, and show them as following: unreferenced object 0xffff8881575f8400 (size 1024): comm "mount", pid 19625, jiffies 4297119604 (age 20.383s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ backtrace: [<ffffffff8176cecd>] __kmalloc+0x4d/0x150 [<ffffffffa0406b2b>] ubifs_mount+0x307b/0x7170 [ubifs] [<ffffffff819fa8fd>] legacy_get_tree+0xed/0x1d0 [<ffffffff81936f2d>] vfs_get_tree+0x7d/0x230 [<ffffffff819b2bd4>] path_mount+0xdd4/0x17b0 [<ffffffff819b37aa>] __x64_sys_mount+0x1fa/0x270 [<ffffffff83c14295>] do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 [<ffffffff83e0006a>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0 unreferenced object 0xffff8881798a6e00 (size 512): comm "mount", pid 19677, jiffies 4297121912 (age 37.816s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b 6b kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk backtrace: [<ffffffff8176cecd>] __kmalloc+0x4d/0x150 [<ffffffffa0418342>] ubifs_wbuf_init+0x52/0x480 [ubifs] [<ffffffffa0406ca5>] ubifs_mount+0x31f5/0x7170 [ubifs] [<ffffffff819fa8fd>] legacy_get_tree+0xed/0x1d0 [<ffffffff81936f2d>] vfs_get_tree+0x7d/0x230 [<ffffffff819b2bd4>] path_mount+0xdd4/0x17b0 [<ffffffff819b37aa>] __x64_sys_mount+0x1fa/0x270 [<ffffffff83c14295>] do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 [<ffffffff83e0006a>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0 The problem is that the ubifs_wbuf_init() returns an error in the loop which in the alloc_wbufs(), then the wbuf->buf and wbuf->inodes that were successfully alloced before are not freed. Fix it by adding error hanging path in alloc_wbufs() which frees the memory alloced before when ubifs_wbuf_init() returns an error.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2023-53468 is a Linux kernel UBIFS memory leak during mount error handling. If UBIFS write-buffer initialization fails, memory allocated earlier is not freed. Business urgency is mainly for systems that use UBIFS, commonly embedded or flash-storage Linux devices. Public sources do not provide CVSS, active exploitation, or evidence of remote attackability.

Executive priority

Prioritize patching for embedded Linux, appliance, and flash-storage systems using UBIFS. For general servers not using UBIFS, treat as lower urgency after confirmation. No public source in the bundle indicates active exploitation or a critical business-impact scenario.

Technical view

The flaw is in UBIFS alloc_wbufs(). When ubifs_wbuf_init() returns an error inside the allocation loop, previously allocated wbuf->buf and wbuf->inodes are not released. Kernel kmemleak reports leaks from mount paths. Stable kernel commits add an error-handling path to free prior allocations.

Likely exposure

Exposure appears limited to Linux systems using UBIFS on affected kernel versions or code states. Systems that do not build, load, or mount UBIFS are less likely exposed. The source lists Linux as affected across multiple stable lines, with fixes represented by kernel stable commits.

Exploitation context

The public record describes a memory leak triggered during UBIFS mount failure handling. It does not state active exploitation, remote exploitability, privilege requirements, or a proof of concept. Repeated triggering could plausibly affect availability, but the sources do not quantify impact.

Researcher notes

Evidence is narrow: the CVE record and kernel commits describe a leak and fix, but no CVSS, CWE, exploit status, or detailed threat model. Avoid assuming remote reachability. Validation should focus on UBIFS presence, kernel lineage, and whether the stable fix is backported by the distributor.

Mitigation direction

  • Identify Linux assets that use or support UBIFS.
  • Compare running kernel versions against vendor advisories and stable kernel fixes.
  • Apply kernel updates containing the referenced UBIFS memory-leak fix.
  • For appliances, request fixed firmware from the device vendor.
  • If patching is delayed, review whether UBIFS can be disabled or unused.

Validation and detection

  • Check whether UBIFS is enabled, loaded, or used on target systems.
  • Confirm kernel package changelogs include the UBIFS alloc_wbufs() fix.
  • Map deployed kernels to the affected version information in the CVE record.
  • For source builds, verify one referenced stable commit is present.
  • Monitor for unusual kernel memory growth during UBIFS mount failures.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
8

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
0ADP providers
7Source links

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux1e51764a3c2ac05a23a22b2a95ddee4d9bffb16d, 1e51764a3c2ac05a23a22b2a95ddee4d9bffb16d, 1e51764a3c2ac05a23a22b2a95ddee4d9bffb16d, 1e51764a3c2ac05a23a22b2a95ddee4d9bffb16d, 1e51764a3c2ac05a23a22b2a95ddee4d9bffb16d, 1e51764a3c2ac05a23a22b2a95ddee4d9bffb16dunaffected
LinuxLinux2.6.27, 0, 5.4.235, 5.10.173, 5.15.100, 6.1.18, 6.2.5, 6.3affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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