CVE-2023-53697

Availability loss via leaked NVDIMM PMU attributes

Published Oct 22, 2025 · Updated Oct 22, 2025

Memory leakage in Linux kernel NVDIMM PMU code from 5.18 allows local users to consume kernel memory through repeated PMU teardown. unregister_nvdimm_pmu() frees nd_pmu without first freeing the attr_groups allocation created by register_nvdimm_pmu(), permanently losing its reference. Reaching this path requires local high-privileged access and NVDIMM PMU support, and the published consequence is limited to reduced availability.

CVSS severity4.6
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leakage in Linux kernel NVDIMM PMU code from 5.18 allows local users to consume kernel memory through repeated PMU teardown. unregister_nvdimm_pmu() frees nd_pmu without first freeing the attr_groups allocation created by register_nvdimm_pmu(), permanently losing its reference. Reaching this path requires local high-privileged access and NVDIMM PMU support, and the published consequence is limited to reduced availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53697
Published
Oct 22, 2025
Updated
Oct 22, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 22, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 22, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=0fab1ba6ad6ba1f76380f92ead95c6e861ef8116 <16259c80542ee8945aaa39cfc6a1809bcdc08ffe
  2. Affected versionversion=0fab1ba6ad6ba1f76380f92ead95c6e861ef8116 <4999f2ec5fde7c45e3ecafda5b78560cc1c7bdb5
  3. Affected versionversion=0fab1ba6ad6ba1f76380f92ead95c6e861ef8116 <500a6ff9c2a81348fe0f04e2deb758145e8ab94e
  4. Affected versionversion=0fab1ba6ad6ba1f76380f92ead95c6e861ef8116 <85ae42c72142346645e63c33835da947dfa008b3
  5. Affected versionversion=5.18

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=0fab1ba6ad6ba1f76380f92ead95c6e861ef8116 <16259c80542ee8945aaa39cfc6a1809bcdc08ffe; version=0fab1ba6ad6ba1f76380f92ead95c6e861ef8116 <4999f2ec5fde7c45e3ecafda5b78560cc1c7bdb5; version=0fab1ba6ad6ba1f76380f92ead95c6e861ef8116 <500a6ff9c2a81348fe0f04e2deb758145e8ab94e; version=0fab1ba6ad6ba1f76380f92ead95c6e861ef8116 <85ae42c72142346645e63c33835da947dfa008b3; version=5.18

Published CVSS scores

4.6SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
2.3SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

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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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

No sourced classifications are available.

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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