CVE-2023-53196 – This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-53196?

CVE-2023-53196 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's USB DWC3 QCOM driver. When the dwc3_qcom_probe() function allocates memory for a resource structure, it fails to free that memory, leading to potential resource exhaustion. This affects Linux systems using Qualcomm-based USB controllers.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's USB DWC3 QCOM driver. When the dwc3_qcom_probe() function allocates memory for a resource structure, it fails to free that memory, leading to potential resource exhaustion. This affects Linux systems using Qualcomm-based USB controllers.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with DWC3 QCOM USB driver

Versions: Specific kernel versions containing the vulnerable code (check git commits for exact ranges)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems with Qualcomm-based USB controllers using the DWC3 driver. Requires USB device operations to trigger.

📦 What is this software?

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

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Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Sustained exploitation could lead to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, denial of service, or kernel panic.

🟠

Likely Case

Gradual memory consumption over time leading to performance degradation or system instability requiring reboot.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper monitoring and regular system maintenance.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to trigger the memory leak through USB device operations.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal users with USB device access could trigger the vulnerability, potentially affecting system stability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger USB device probe operations. No known public exploits.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing the fix commits (097fb3ee710d4de83b8d4f5589e8ee13e0f0541e and related)

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/097fb3ee710d4de83b8d4f5589e8ee13e0f0541e

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Reboot system. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable vulnerable USB controller

Linux

Disable the affected DWC3 QCOM USB controller if not needed

echo 'blacklist dwc3_qcom' > /etc/modprobe.d/disable-dwc3-qcom.conf
update-initramfs -u
reboot

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict USB device connection policies
Monitor system memory usage and set alerts for abnormal consumption

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if system uses DWC3 QCOM driver: lsmod | grep dwc3_qcom && check kernel version against affected ranges

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes fix commits: uname -r and check git commit history

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel OOM (Out of Memory) messages
System instability logs
USB probe failure messages

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

Search for kernel panic logs, OOM killer events, or abnormal memory consumption patterns

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-53196

CVSS v3 Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CWE: CWE-401

EPSS Score: 0.01% exploit probability (1.2th percentile)

Published: September 15, 2025

Last Updated: December 2, 2025

🔗 References

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