LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2023-53596: drivers: base: Free devm resources when unregistering a device

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drivers: base: Free devm resources when unregistering a device In the current code, devres_release_all() only gets called if the device has a bus and has been probed. This leads to issues when using bus-less or driver-less devices where the device might never get freed if a managed resource holds a reference to the device. This is happening in the DRM framework for example. We should thus call devres_release_all() in the device_del() function to make sure that the device-managed actions are properly executed when the device is unregistered, even if it has neither a bus nor a driver. This is effectively the same change than commit 2f8d16a996da ("devres: release resources on device_del()") that got reverted by commit a525a3ddeaca ("driver core: free devres in device_release") over memory leaks concerns. This patch effectively combines the two commits mentioned above to release the resources both on device_del() and device_release() and get the best of both worlds.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysisunknown

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This Linux kernel issue is a resource cleanup bug. Some devices without a bus or driver could keep device-managed resources alive after unregistering, preventing the device from being freed. The source notes DRM as an example area affected. Public data provided does not include a severity score or active exploitation evidence.

Executive priority

Treat as a kernel maintenance item with uncertain urgency. Patch through normal Linux update processes, prioritizing exposed production systems and graphics or driver-heavy workloads. Escalate only if vendor advisories assign higher severity for your distribution.

Technical view

The driver core previously called devres_release_all() only for devices with a bus that had been probed. CVE-2023-53596 fixes cleanup by releasing device-managed resources during device_del() and device_release(), covering bus-less or driver-less devices whose managed resources may hold device references.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely limited to Linux systems running affected kernel revisions where subsystems create bus-less or driver-less devices using device-managed resources. The source specifically mentions the DRM framework. Distribution package impact cannot be confirmed from the provided sources alone.

Exploitation context

The supplied bundle does not show KEV listing, public exploitation, exploit code, or a CVSS score. The described impact is a kernel resource lifecycle failure that can prevent device cleanup, but the sources do not establish practical exploitability or attacker prerequisites.

Researcher notes

Key evidence is the upstream fix rationale, not a full exploitability assessment. The issue centers on devres cleanup ordering for devices lacking bus or driver state. Validate affectedness against exact kernel branch and distribution backport metadata.

Mitigation direction

  • Apply Linux kernel or distribution updates containing the referenced stable fixes.
  • Prioritize systems using affected kernels with DRM or custom driver workloads.
  • Check vendor advisories for distribution-specific fixed package versions.
  • Avoid direct kernel changes outside normal vendor-supported update channels.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory running kernel versions across affected Linux hosts.
  • Check package changelogs for CVE-2023-53596 or referenced stable commits.
  • Verify source trees include the applicable git.kernel.org stable fix.
  • Monitor hosts for abnormal device or DRM resource leaks after unregister paths.
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

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2023-53596 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
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
LinuxLinuxa525a3ddeaca69f405d98442ab3c0746e53168dc, a525a3ddeaca69f405d98442ab3c0746e53168dc, a525a3ddeaca69f405d98442ab3c0746e53168dc, a525a3ddeaca69f405d98442ab3c0746e53168dc, a525a3ddeaca69f405d98442ab3c0746e53168dc, a525a3ddeaca69f405d98442ab3c0746e53168dcunaffected
LinuxLinux3.7, 0, 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.53, 6.4.16, 6.5.3, 6.6affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.