Service interruption via mlx5e internal-port reference leak
Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025
Memory leak in Linux kernel 5.18 through 6.4.10 allows local users to exhaust memory through crafted mlx5e traffic-control rules. The mlx5e post-action flow path increments an internal-port reference with mlx5e_tc_int_port_get() but omits the matching put when freeing some split-flow attributes. Triggering requires privileged traffic-control configuration involving an internal port, tunneled forwarding, and offloaded connection-tracking new-state handling; repeated rules can consume kernel memory and interrupt service.
Summary
What happened
Memory leak in Linux kernel 5.18 through 6.4.10 allows local users to exhaust memory through crafted mlx5e traffic-control rules. The mlx5e post-action flow path increments an internal-port reference with mlx5e_tc_int_port_get() but omits the matching put when freeing some split-flow attributes. Triggering requires privileged traffic-control configuration involving an internal port, tunneled forwarding, and offloaded connection-tracking new-state handling; repeated rules can consume kernel memory and interrupt service.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-53999
- Published
- Dec 24, 2025
- Updated
- Dec 24, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Dec 24, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=5.18
- Affected versionversion=8300f225268be9ee2c0daf5a3f23929fcdcbf213 <ac5da544a3c2047cbfd715acd9cec8380d7fe5c6
- Affected versionversion=8300f225268be9ee2c0daf5a3f23929fcdcbf213 <bc1918bac0f30e3f551ef5649b53062917db55fa
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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