CVE-2023-53518 – This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-53518?

CVE-2023-53518 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's devfreq subsystem. When a devfreq device is released, the kernel fails to properly clean up SRCU (Sleepable Read-Copy Update) notifier resources, leading to gradual memory exhaustion. This affects all Linux systems using the devfreq framework for dynamic frequency scaling of devices.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's devfreq subsystem. When a devfreq device is released, the kernel fails to properly clean up SRCU (Sleepable Read-Copy Update) notifier resources, leading to gradual memory exhaustion. This affects all Linux systems using the devfreq framework for dynamic frequency scaling of devices.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux Kernel

Versions: Kernel versions with devfreq support before the fix commits (specific versions vary by distribution)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems using devfreq devices (common on mobile/embedded systems and some servers with dynamic frequency scaling)

📦 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 →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

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

🟠

Likely Case

Gradual memory leak over time leading to reduced system performance and eventual out-of-memory conditions requiring system reboot.

🟢

If Mitigated

With proper monitoring and regular reboots, impact is limited to occasional performance degradation.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a local kernel vulnerability requiring local access or existing system compromise.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - While it requires local access, it could be exploited by malicious insiders or through lateral movement after initial compromise.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access and ability to trigger devfreq device release operations. Memory leak is gradual rather than immediate.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 111bafa210ae546bee7644be730c42df9c35b66e, 1640e9c72173911ad0fddb05012c01eafe082c4e, 29811f4b8255d4238cf326f3bb7129784766beab, 3354c401c68d70567d1ef25d12f4e22a7813a3c6, 5693d077595de721f9ddbf9d37f40e5409707dfe

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/111bafa210ae546bee7644be730c42df9c35b66e

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update to a patched kernel version from your distribution vendor. 2. Reboot the system to load the new kernel. 3. Verify the fix is applied by checking kernel version.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable devfreq if not needed

linux

Remove or disable devfreq module if dynamic frequency scaling is not required

modprobe -r devfreq
echo 'blacklist devfreq' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

Regular system reboots

linux

Schedule regular reboots to clear accumulated memory leaks

systemctl enable --now reboot.timer (create appropriate timer)

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict access controls to limit local user privileges
Monitor system memory usage and set up alerts for abnormal memory consumption patterns

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and if devfreq is loaded: uname -r && lsmod | grep devfreq

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version is patched and monitor for memory leaks using tools like kmemleak or /proc/meminfo

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel oom-killer messages
Increasing memory usage in system logs
kmemleak reports of unreleased memory

Network Indicators:

None - this is a local vulnerability

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("out of memory" OR "oom-killer" OR memory AND leak)

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-53518

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: 0.02% exploit probability (5.1th percentile)

Published: October 1, 2025

Last Updated: January 23, 2026

🔗 References

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