CVE-2023-53249

Local service interruption via clock-probe memory leak

Published Sep 15, 2025 · Updated Sep 15, 2025

Memory leak in the Linux kernel allows local users to interrupt service when the i.MX8MN clock driver's probe encounters an error. The imx8mn_clocks_probe function uses unmanaged of_iomap and kzalloc allocations without releasing them when later initialization steps fail. The published record requires local low-privileged access but does not explain how that user forces the hardware-driver probe into an error path.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leak in the Linux kernel allows local users to interrupt service when the i.MX8MN clock driver's probe encounters an error. The imx8mn_clocks_probe function uses unmanaged of_iomap and kzalloc allocations without releasing them when later initialization steps fail. The published record requires local low-privileged access but does not explain how that user forces the hardware-driver probe into an error path.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53249
Published
Sep 15, 2025
Updated
Sep 15, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 15, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 15, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=5.4
  2. Affected versionversion=96d6392b54dbb1ff2b39448a2516fa6abb33114b <188d070de9132667956f5aadd98d2bd87d3eac89
  3. Affected versionversion=96d6392b54dbb1ff2b39448a2516fa6abb33114b <294321349bd3b0680847fc2bbe66b9ab3e522fea
  4. Affected versionversion=96d6392b54dbb1ff2b39448a2516fa6abb33114b <50b5ddde8fad5f0ffd239029d0956af633a0f9b1
  5. Affected versionversion=96d6392b54dbb1ff2b39448a2516fa6abb33114b <9428cf0fbf4be9a24f3e15a0c166b861b12666af
  6. Affected versionversion=96d6392b54dbb1ff2b39448a2516fa6abb33114b <9ba3693b0350b154fdd7830559bbc7b04c067096
  7. Affected versionversion=96d6392b54dbb1ff2b39448a2516fa6abb33114b <d4fa5e47af1e7bb2bbcaac062b14216c00e92148

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.4; version=96d6392b54dbb1ff2b39448a2516fa6abb33114b <188d070de9132667956f5aadd98d2bd87d3eac89; version=96d6392b54dbb1ff2b39448a2516fa6abb33114b <294321349bd3b0680847fc2bbe66b9ab3e522fea; version=96d6392b54dbb1ff2b39448a2516fa6abb33114b <50b5ddde8fad5f0ffd239029d0956af633a0f9b1; version=96d6392b54dbb1ff2b39448a2516fa6abb33114b <9428cf0fbf4be9a24f3e15a0c166b861b12666af; version=96d6392b54dbb1ff2b39448a2516fa6abb33114b <9ba3693b0350b154fdd7830559bbc7b04c067096; version=96d6392b54dbb1ff2b39448a2516fa6abb33114b <d4fa5e47af1e7bb2bbcaac062b14216c00e92148

Published CVSS scores

5.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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