CVE-2023-54024

Kernel memory leak via failed MMIO unregistration

Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025

Memory leak in Linux KVM allows local users with KVM access to consume host memory via coalesced-MMIO registration ioctls. In virt/kvm/coalesced_mmio.c, the unregistration failure path calls kvm_io_bus_unregister_dev() but omits destruction and freeing of the target device. Reachability requires access to a KVM VM file descriptor, and each failed unregistration leaves a 64-byte kernel allocation unreclaimed.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.19%
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 Linux KVM allows local users with KVM access to consume host memory via coalesced-MMIO registration ioctls. In virt/kvm/coalesced_mmio.c, the unregistration failure path calls kvm_io_bus_unregister_dev() but omits destruction and freeing of the target device. Reachability requires access to a KVM VM file descriptor, and each failed unregistration leaves a 64-byte kernel allocation unreclaimed.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54024
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Updated
Dec 24, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=168e82f640ed1891a700bdb43e37da354b2ab63c
  2. Affected versionversion=2a20592baff59c5351c5200ec667e1a2aa22af85 <76a9886e1b61ce5592df5ae78a19ed30399ae189
  3. Affected versionversion=50cbad42bfea8c052b7ca590bd4126cdc898713c
  4. Affected versionversion=5.13
  5. Affected versionversion=5d3c4c79384af06e3c8e25b7770b6247496b4417 <999439fd5da5a76253e2f2c37b94204f47d75491
  6. Affected versionversion=5d3c4c79384af06e3c8e25b7770b6247496b4417 <b1cb1fac22abf102ffeb29dd3eeca208a3869d54
  7. Affected versionversion=5d3c4c79384af06e3c8e25b7770b6247496b4417 <ccf6a7fb1aedb1472e1241ee55e4d26b68f8d066
  8. Affected versionversion=5d3c4c79384af06e3c8e25b7770b6247496b4417 <fb436dd6914325075f07d19851ab277b7a693ae7
  9. Affected versionversion=7d1bc32d6477ff96a32695ea4be8144e4513ab2d <10c2a20d73e99463e69b7e92706791656adc16d7

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=168e82f640ed1891a700bdb43e37da354b2ab63c; version=2a20592baff59c5351c5200ec667e1a2aa22af85 <76a9886e1b61ce5592df5ae78a19ed30399ae189; version=50cbad42bfea8c052b7ca590bd4126cdc898713c; version=5.13; version=5d3c4c79384af06e3c8e25b7770b6247496b4417 <999439fd5da5a76253e2f2c37b94204f47d75491; version=5d3c4c79384af06e3c8e25b7770b6247496b4417 <b1cb1fac22abf102ffeb29dd3eeca208a3869d54; version=5d3c4c79384af06e3c8e25b7770b6247496b4417 <ccf6a7fb1aedb1472e1241ee55e4d26b68f8d066; version=5d3c4c79384af06e3c8e25b7770b6247496b4417 <fb436dd6914325075f07d19851ab277b7a693ae7; version=7d1bc32d6477ff96a32695ea4be8144e4513ab2d <10c2a20d73e99463e69b7e92706791656adc16d7

Published CVSS scores

No CVSS assessment is available in this record.

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
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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