CVE-2023-53225 – This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-53225?

CVE-2023-53225 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's SPI driver for i.MX platforms. When the driver's remove function encounters an error, it returns early without properly releasing DMA resources, causing a permanent memory leak. This affects systems using the affected SPI driver on i.MX hardware.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's SPI driver for i.MX platforms. When the driver's remove function encounters an error, it returns early without properly releasing DMA resources, causing a permanent memory leak. This affects systems using the affected SPI driver on i.MX hardware.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with i.MX SPI 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 using the i.MX SPI driver. Requires the driver to be loaded and then removed (which triggers the cleanup path).

📦 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 →

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 →

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

Continuous memory consumption leading to system instability, kernel crashes, or denial of service over time as DMA resources are never released.

🟠

Likely Case

Gradual memory exhaustion in systems where the SPI driver's remove function is called frequently, potentially causing performance degradation or service interruptions.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact if systems don't frequently load/unload the affected SPI driver module.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This requires local access to trigger the driver removal path and doesn't provide remote code execution.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or processes could potentially trigger the condition, but exploitation requires specific driver operations.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires ability to trigger the driver's remove function, which typically requires privileged access or specific system operations.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing the git commits referenced in the CVE

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/11951c9e3f364d7ae3b568a0e52c8335d43066b5

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Update to a kernel version containing the fix commits. 2. For embedded systems: Rebuild kernel with patched source. 3. For distributions: Apply security updates from your vendor.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Avoid driver unloading

all

Prevent the SPI driver from being unloaded to avoid triggering the vulnerable cleanup path

echo 'blacklist spi-imx' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Monitor system memory usage for unusual increases that could indicate the leak is occurring
Avoid unnecessary loading/unloading of the SPI driver module

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and verify if it contains the vulnerable code by examining the SPI driver source or checking if your distribution has applied the fix

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version is updated to one containing the fix commits, or check that the SPI driver properly releases resources when removed

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel oops messages related to SPI driver
Memory allocation failures in kernel logs
System logs showing repeated SPI driver load/unload events

Network Indicators:

None - this is a local kernel vulnerability

SIEM Query:

Search for kernel logs containing 'spi-imx' module events or memory allocation failures

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-53225

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: January 14, 2026

🔗 References

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