CVE-2023-54266

Kernel memory leak via failed device reads

Published Dec 30, 2025 · Updated Dec 30, 2025

Memory leak in the Linux m920x DVB-USB driver in affected releases allows attackers to consume kernel memory when a device read fails. The m920x_i2c_xfer function allocates a one-byte read buffer but leaves it allocated when m920x_read returns an error. Reachability requires a supported m920x-family USB DVB receiver and the I2C read-error path; each failure leaks only a small allocation, so the bounded consequence is gradual memory pressure rather than immediate corruption.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.23%
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 m920x DVB-USB driver in affected releases allows attackers to consume kernel memory when a device read fails. The m920x_i2c_xfer function allocates a one-byte read buffer but leaves it allocated when m920x_read returns an error. Reachability requires a supported m920x-family USB DVB receiver and the I2C read-error path; each failure leaks only a small allocation, so the bounded consequence is gradual memory pressure rather than immediate corruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54266
Published
Dec 30, 2025
Updated
Dec 30, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
Unavailable
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 30, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 30, 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=08cb4f0da9926277101d18d817048e1328ac2563
  2. Affected versionversion=0c044e39d52abfbb4cb43dbc5a09c1dc1ed24648 <7ca7cd02114ac8caa6b0a64734b9af6be1559353
  3. Affected versionversion=273cac7a89712ba6b898214af150b71dc33abe0c
  4. Affected versionversion=5.17
  5. Affected versionversion=7dca4428d7eb33c89979e620228fe557593fde66 <c0178e938f110cdf6937f26975c0c951dbb1d9db
  6. Affected versionversion=82ce3084892c0c0e006ec61f6144f2cc4e5ece88 <809623fedc31f4e74039d93bb75a8993635d7534
  7. Affected versionversion=830e5d1b4344c2575020ee4bdf63fb48e2b56ce3 <d13a84874a2e0236c9325b3adc8e126d0888ad6b
  8. Affected versionversion=a2ab06d7c4d6bfd0b545a768247a70463e977e27 <2b6e20ef0585a467c24c7e4fde28518e5b33225a
  9. Affected versionversion=a2ab06d7c4d6bfd0b545a768247a70463e977e27 <2cc9f11aeae2887a4db25c27323fc445f4b49e86
  10. Affected versionversion=a2ab06d7c4d6bfd0b545a768247a70463e977e27 <4feed3dfca722c6d74865a37cab853c58e6aa190
  11. Affected versionversion=a2ab06d7c4d6bfd0b545a768247a70463e977e27 <ea9ef6c2e001c5dc94bee35ebd1c8a98621cf7b8
  12. Affected versionversion=b7e221dc8f23727e00a7fb6709b3318547a7c4d8
  13. Affected versionversion=fe791612afabaeee9b911bd7b955985bcf5ff314 <75d6ef197c488cd852493b4a419274e3489da79d

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorUnavailable in this record.
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=08cb4f0da9926277101d18d817048e1328ac2563; version=0c044e39d52abfbb4cb43dbc5a09c1dc1ed24648 <7ca7cd02114ac8caa6b0a64734b9af6be1559353; version=273cac7a89712ba6b898214af150b71dc33abe0c; version=5.17; version=7dca4428d7eb33c89979e620228fe557593fde66 <c0178e938f110cdf6937f26975c0c951dbb1d9db; version=82ce3084892c0c0e006ec61f6144f2cc4e5ece88 <809623fedc31f4e74039d93bb75a8993635d7534; version=830e5d1b4344c2575020ee4bdf63fb48e2b56ce3 <d13a84874a2e0236c9325b3adc8e126d0888ad6b; version=a2ab06d7c4d6bfd0b545a768247a70463e977e27 <2b6e20ef0585a467c24c7e4fde28518e5b33225a; version=a2ab06d7c4d6bfd0b545a768247a70463e977e27 <2cc9f11aeae2887a4db25c27323fc445f4b49e86; version=a2ab06d7c4d6bfd0b545a768247a70463e977e27 <4feed3dfca722c6d74865a37cab853c58e6aa190; version=a2ab06d7c4d6bfd0b545a768247a70463e977e27 <ea9ef6c2e001c5dc94bee35ebd1c8a98621cf7b8; version=b7e221dc8f23727e00a7fb6709b3318547a7c4d8; version=fe791612afabaeee9b911bd7b955985bcf5ff314 <75d6ef197c488cd852493b4a419274e3489da79d

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

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)
VectorUnavailable
PrivilegesUnavailable
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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