CVE-2023-53546 – This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-53546?

CVE-2023-53546 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mlx5 driver when creating reformat contexts. If the mlx5_cmd_exec function fails, allocated memory isn't properly released, leading to gradual memory exhaustion. This affects systems using Mellanox ConnectX network adapters with the mlx5 driver.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mlx5 driver when creating reformat contexts. If the mlx5_cmd_exec function fails, allocated memory isn't properly released, leading to gradual memory exhaustion. This affects systems using Mellanox ConnectX network adapters with the mlx5 driver.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with mlx5 driver

Versions: Linux kernel versions 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 with Mellanox ConnectX network adapters using the mlx5 driver. Requires specific conditions to trigger the memory leak.

📦 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 →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Sustained exploitation could cause kernel memory exhaustion leading to system instability, crashes, or denial of service requiring reboot.

🟠

Likely Case

Gradual memory consumption over time causing performance degradation and potential system instability.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper monitoring and memory limits in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access or ability to trigger specific mlx5 driver operations.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Could be exploited by authenticated users or processes with access to mlx5 driver functions.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires triggering specific failure conditions in mlx5 driver operations. No public exploits known.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 00cecb0a8f9e7a21754d5ad85813ab6b47b3308f, 165159854757dbae0dfd1812b27051da35aa6223, 3169c3854397f3070a63b1b772db16dcb8cba7b4, 5dd77585dd9d0e03dd1bceb95f0269a7eaf6b936, 622d71d99124e69f7bf2e2b7a89f5f444a24d235

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

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Check distribution-specific security advisories. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable mlx5 driver if not needed

linux

Remove or blacklist mlx5 driver if Mellanox adapters are not required

echo 'blacklist mlx5_core' > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-mlx5.conf
update-initramfs -u
reboot

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Monitor system memory usage and kernel logs for memory leak indicators
Implement memory limits and restart services if memory consumption exceeds thresholds

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and if mlx5 driver is loaded: lsmod | grep mlx5

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version includes fix commits and check dmesg for memory leak errors

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel OOM (Out of Memory) messages in dmesg
Increasing memory usage in /proc/meminfo
mlx5 driver error messages

Network Indicators:

None specific - this is a local memory issue

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("out of memory" OR "mlx5" OR "memory leak")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-53546

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 (5.5th percentile)

Published: October 4, 2025

Last Updated: February 6, 2026

🔗 References

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