CVE-2023-53355
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's pi433 staging driver. When debugfs_lookup() is called without proper cleanup, kernel memory gradually leaks over time. This affects systems using the pi433 driver for RF communication modules.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with pi433 staging driver
📦 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...
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, crashes, or denial of service.
Likely Case
Gradual memory consumption over time leading to performance degradation and potential system instability.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper monitoring and memory limits in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and ability to trigger debugfs operations on pi433 driver.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits 04f3cda40e9f, 2f36e789e540, or bb16f3102607
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04f3cda40e9f6653ae15ed3fcf26ef2860f4df66
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Reboot system. 3. Verify pi433 driver is using debugfs_lookup_and_remove() instead of debugfs_lookup().
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable pi433 driver
LinuxPrevent loading of vulnerable driver module
echo 'blacklist pi433' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod pi433
Unmount debugfs
LinuxRemove debugfs mount to prevent exploitation
umount /sys/kernel/debug
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor kernel memory usage for unusual increases
- Implement kernel memory limits using cgroups
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if pi433 driver is loaded: lsmod | grep pi433. Check kernel version: uname -rCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits. Check pi433 driver source uses debugfs_lookup_and_remove()📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel OOM (Out of Memory) messages
- System instability logs
- Memory pressure warnings
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("Out of memory" OR "memory leak" OR "pi433")