Linux Kernel up to 5.10.189/5.15.123/6.1.42/6.4.7 mm/slab_common.c raw_queue_event memory leak

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability described as critical has been identified in Linux Kernel up to 5.10.189/5.15.123/6.1.42/6.4.7. This affects the function raw_queue_event of the file mm/slab_common.c. Such manipulation leads to memory leak. This vulnerability is listed as CVE-2023-53693. There is no available exploit. Upgrading the affected component is recommended.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in Linux Kernel up to 5.10.189/5.15.123/6.1.42/6.4.7. Affected by this issue is the function raw_queue_event of the file mm/slab_common.c. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a memory leak vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-401. The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, which slowly consumes remaining memory. Impacted is availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: USB: gadget: Fix the memory leak in raw_gadget driver Currently, increasing raw_dev->count happens before invoke the raw_queue_event(), if the raw_queue_event() return error, invoke raw_release() will not trigger the dev_free() to be called. [ 268.905865][ T5067] raw-gadget.0 gadget.0: failed to queue event [ 268.912053][ T5067] udc dummy_udc.0: failed to start USB Raw Gadget: -12 [ 268.918885][ T5067] raw-gadget.0: probe of gadget.0 failed with error -12 [ 268.925956][ T5067] UDC core: USB Raw Gadget: couldn't find an available UDC or it's busy [ 268.934657][ T5067] misc raw-gadget: fail, usb_gadget_register_driver returned -16 BUG: memory leak [] kmalloc_trace+0x24/0x90 mm/slab_common.c:1076 [] kmalloc include/linux/slab.h:582 [inline] [] kzalloc include/linux/slab.h:703 [inline] [] dev_new drivers/usb/gadget/legacy/raw_gadget.c:191 [inline] [] raw_open+0x45/0x110 drivers/usb/gadget/legacy/raw_gadget.c:385 [] misc_open+0x1a9/0x1f0 drivers/char/misc.c:165 [] kmalloc_trace+0x24/0x90 mm/slab_common.c:1076 [] kmalloc include/linux/slab.h:582 [inline] [] raw_ioctl_init+0xdf/0x410 drivers/usb/gadget/legacy/raw_gadget.c:460 [] raw_ioctl+0x5f9/0x1120 drivers/usb/gadget/legacy/raw_gadget.c:1250 [] vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:51 [inline] [] kmalloc_trace+0x24/0x90 mm/slab_common.c:1076 [] kmalloc include/linux/slab.h:582 [inline] [] kzalloc include/linux/slab.h:703 [inline] [] dummy_alloc_request+0x5a/0xe0 drivers/usb/gadget/udc/dummy_hcd.c:665 [] usb_ep_alloc_request+0x22/0xd0 drivers/usb/gadget/udc/core.c:196 [] gadget_bind+0x6d/0x370 drivers/usb/gadget/legacy/raw_gadget.c:292 This commit therefore invoke kref_get() under the condition that raw_queue_event() return success.

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2023-53693 since 10/22/2025. The exploitation is known to be difficult. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 276822 (Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2023-53693), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 5.10.190, 5.15.124, 6.1.43 or 6.4.8 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 68e6287ac61dc22513cd39f02b9ac1fef28513e4/0f7a2b567197798da7bfa2252f4485c0ca6c6266/de77000c1923d7942f9b4f08447c8feeae1c0f33/9934e5d07c0dc294169a7d52f6309f35cd6d7755/83e30f2bf86ef7c38fbd476ed81a88522b620628 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at Tenable (276822) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2394). Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

Affected

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• Dell NetWorker

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 5.10.189
• 5.15.123
• 6.1.0
• 6.1.1
• 6.1.2
• 6.1.3
• 6.1.4
• 6.1.5
• 6.1.6
• 6.1.7
• 6.1.8
• 6.1.9
• 6.1.10
• 6.1.11
• 6.1.12
• 6.1.13
• 6.1.14
• 6.1.15
• 6.1.16
• 6.1.17
• 6.1.18
• 6.1.19
• 6.1.20
• 6.1.21
• 6.1.22
• 6.1.23
• 6.1.24
• 6.1.25
• 6.1.26
• 6.1.27
• 6.1.28
• 6.1.29
• 6.1.30
• 6.1.31
• 6.1.32
• 6.1.33
• 6.1.34
• 6.1.35
• 6.1.36
• 6.1.37
• 6.1.38
• 6.1.39
• 6.1.40
• 6.1.41
• 6.1.42
• 6.4.0
• 6.4.1
• 6.4.2
• 6.4.3
• 6.4.4
• 6.4.5
• 6.4.6
• 6.4.7

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CPE 2.2info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CVSSv4info

CVSSv3info

CVSSv2info

Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

Discussion