Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: watchdog: Fix kmemleak 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:
[<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.
Impact
CVE-2023-53234 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-53234? CVE-2023-53234 is a medium-severity security vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet.
- How severe is CVE-2023-53234? CVE-2023-53234 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-53234? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2023-53234 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2023-53234 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-53234 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2023-53234 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.