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CVE Record

CVE-2023-53637: media: i2c: ov772x: Fix memleak in ov772x_probe()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: media: i2c: ov772x: Fix memleak in ov772x_probe() A memory leak was reported when testing ov772x with bpf mock device: AssertionError: unreferenced object 0xffff888109afa7a8 (size 8): comm "python3", pid 279, jiffies 4294805921 (age 20.681s) hex dump (first 8 bytes): 80 22 88 15 81 88 ff ff ."...... backtrace: [<000000009990b438>] __kmalloc_node+0x44/0x1b0 [<000000009e32f7d7>] kvmalloc_node+0x34/0x180 [<00000000faf48134>] v4l2_ctrl_handler_init_class+0x11d/0x180 [videodev] [<00000000da376937>] ov772x_probe+0x1c3/0x68c [ov772x] [<000000003f0d225e>] i2c_device_probe+0x28d/0x680 [<00000000e0b6db89>] really_probe+0x17c/0x3f0 [<000000001b19fcee>] __driver_probe_device+0xe3/0x170 [<0000000048370519>] driver_probe_device+0x49/0x120 [<000000005ead07a0>] __device_attach_driver+0xf7/0x150 [<0000000043f452b8>] bus_for_each_drv+0x114/0x180 [<00000000358e5596>] __device_attach+0x1e5/0x2d0 [<0000000043f83c5d>] bus_probe_device+0x126/0x140 [<00000000ee0f3046>] device_add+0x810/0x1130 [<00000000e0278184>] i2c_new_client_device+0x359/0x4f0 [<0000000070baf34f>] of_i2c_register_device+0xf1/0x110 [<00000000a9f2159d>] of_i2c_notify+0x100/0x160 unreferenced object 0xffff888119825c00 (size 256): comm "python3", pid 279, jiffies 4294805921 (age 20.681s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 00 b4 a5 17 81 88 ff ff 00 5e 82 19 81 88 ff ff .........^...... 10 5c 82 19 81 88 ff ff 10 5c 82 19 81 88 ff ff .\.......\...... backtrace: [<000000009990b438>] __kmalloc_node+0x44/0x1b0 [<000000009e32f7d7>] kvmalloc_node+0x34/0x180 [<0000000073d88e0b>] v4l2_ctrl_new.cold+0x19b/0x86f [videodev] [<00000000b1f576fb>] v4l2_ctrl_new_std+0x16f/0x210 [videodev] [<00000000caf7ac99>] ov772x_probe+0x1fa/0x68c [ov772x] [<000000003f0d225e>] i2c_device_probe+0x28d/0x680 [<00000000e0b6db89>] really_probe+0x17c/0x3f0 [<000000001b19fcee>] __driver_probe_device+0xe3/0x170 [<0000000048370519>] driver_probe_device+0x49/0x120 [<000000005ead07a0>] __device_attach_driver+0xf7/0x150 [<0000000043f452b8>] bus_for_each_drv+0x114/0x180 [<00000000358e5596>] __device_attach+0x1e5/0x2d0 [<0000000043f83c5d>] bus_probe_device+0x126/0x140 [<00000000ee0f3046>] device_add+0x810/0x1130 [<00000000e0278184>] i2c_new_client_device+0x359/0x4f0 [<0000000070baf34f>] of_i2c_register_device+0xf1/0x110 The reason is that if priv->hdl.error is set, ov772x_probe() jumps to the error_mutex_destroy without doing v4l2_ctrl_handler_free(), and all resources allocated in v4l2_ctrl_handler_init() and v4l2_ctrl_new_std() are leaked.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysislow

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2023-53637 is a Linux kernel memory leak in the OV772x camera sensor driver. If driver setup hits a specific control-handler error, allocated video-control resources are not freed. The available sources describe a leak found during testing, not a broad remote compromise scenario.

Executive priority

Treat this as a targeted kernel maintenance issue, not an emergency internet-facing exposure based on current evidence. Patch affected camera or embedded Linux fleets during the normal security update cycle, with higher priority for products that dynamically probe OV772x devices.

Technical view

The flaw is in media i2c ov772x_probe(). When priv->hdl.error is set, execution jumps to error_mutex_destroy without calling v4l2_ctrl_handler_free(), leaking resources allocated by v4l2_ctrl_handler_init_class() and v4l2_ctrl_new_std().

Likely exposure

Exposure appears limited to Linux systems running affected kernel versions with the ov772x media I2C driver present and exercised, commonly embedded or camera-capable builds. General servers without this driver or hardware path are less likely to be exposed.

Exploitation context

The bundle says KEV is false and provides no evidence of active exploitation. The issue was reported through testing with a BPF mock device and memory leak detection output. No exploitability beyond the probe-time leak is established in the provided sources.

Researcher notes

Evidence is strong for root cause and fix location, but incomplete for real-world impact. The sources do not provide CVSS, CWE, exploit prerequisites, or operational exploitation data. Analysis should stay tied to affected kernel builds and the OV772x probe path.

Mitigation direction

  • Update to a Linux kernel containing the referenced stable fixes.
  • Check distribution or device-vendor advisories for packaged kernel availability.
  • Prioritize embedded or camera-enabled systems using the OV772x driver.
  • If updates are delayed, ask the vendor for supported temporary mitigations.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory running kernel versions against the affected version list.
  • Check whether the ov772x driver is built, loaded, or enabled in target images.
  • Confirm the kernel source includes the referenced stable fix for ov772x_probe().
  • Use non-production leak-detection testing to verify the probe error path no longer leaks.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
9

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
8Source links

Vulnerability timeline

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

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

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  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

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Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux1112babde21483d86ed3fbad1320b0ddf9ab2ece, 1112babde21483d86ed3fbad1320b0ddf9ab2ece, 1112babde21483d86ed3fbad1320b0ddf9ab2ece, 1112babde21483d86ed3fbad1320b0ddf9ab2ece, 1112babde21483d86ed3fbad1320b0ddf9ab2ece, 1112babde21483d86ed3fbad1320b0ddf9ab2ece, 1112babde21483d86ed3fbad1320b0ddf9ab2eceunaffected
LinuxLinux4.17, 0, 4.19.276, 5.4.235, 5.10.173, 5.15.99, 6.1.16, 6.2.3, 6.3affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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