CVE-2023-53594: driver core: fix resource leak in device_add()
Vulnerability summary
CVE-2023-53594 is a medium (CVSS 5.5) vulnerability in linux. EPSS estimates a 0.15% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 4% of scored vulnerabilities.
Not severe (CVSS 5.5, local access); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources
Source freshness unavailable
How is this decided?Advisory lineage
Upstream 0 · Downstream 7 · Related 5Timeline
- 04-10-2025PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
- 23-05-2026Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: driver core: fix resource leak in device_add() When calling kobject_add() failed in device_add(), it will call cleanup_glue_dir() to free resource. But in kobject_add(), dev->kobj.parent has been set to NULL. This will cause resource leak. The process is as follows: device_add() get_device_parent() class_dir_create_and_add() kobject_add() //kobject_get() ... dev->kobj.parent = kobj; ... kobject_add() //failed, but set dev->kobj.parent = NULL ... glue_dir = get_glue_dir(dev) //glue_dir = NULL, and goto //"Error" label ... cleanup_glue_dir() //becaues glue_dir is NULL, not call //kobject_put() The preceding problem may cause insmod mac80211_hwsim.ko to failed. sysfs: cannot create duplicate filename '/devices/virtual/mac80211_hwsim' Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x8e/0xd1 sysfs_warn_dup.cold+0x1c/0x29 sysfs_create_dir_ns+0x224/0x280 kobject_add_internal+0x2aa/0x880 kobject_add+0x135/0x1a0 get_device_parent+0x3d7/0x590 device_add+0x2aa/0x1cb0 device_create_groups_vargs+0x1eb/0x260 device_create+0xdc/0x110 mac80211_hwsim_new_radio+0x31e/0x4790 [mac80211_hwsim] init_mac80211_hwsim+0x48d/0x1000 [mac80211_hwsim] do_one_initcall+0x10f/0x630 do_init_module+0x19f/0x5e0 load_module+0x64b7/0x6eb0 __do_sys_finit_module+0x140/0x200 do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0 </TASK> kobject_add_internal failed for mac80211_hwsim with -EEXIST, don't try to register things with the same name in the same directory.
CVSS metrics
3 scores · 3 sources · 1 version- OSV · UbuntuEcosystem advisory · calculated5.5MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- OSV · DebianEcosystem advisory · calculated5.5MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
EPSS trend
Probability
0.15%
Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days
Percentile
4%
Versus all other CVEs
30-day change
No change 0.00 pp
From 0.14% on 04-10-2026
Known exploited
Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEVNot in the CISA KEV catalog.
ENISA CNWNot in the ENISA CNW catalog.
CIRCLNot in the CIRCL catalog.
Public exploits
0 foundNo public exploits indexed.
Weaknesses
CWE · root causeAffected systems
Known conditions: local access, low-privilege account, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.
Ubuntu121 products
- linuxAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.15.0-75.82
- linux-allwinner-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
- linux-awsAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.15.0-1038.43
- linux-aws-5.0All versions (No fix recorded)
- linux-aws-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
Linux2 products
- linux≥ cebf8fd16900fdfd58c0028617944f808f97fe50, < 8d389e363075c2e1deb84a560686ea92123e4b8b | ≥ cebf8fd16900fdfd58c0028617944f808f97fe50, < d1dbff10c6cd3b43457f3efd3c9c4950009635bf | ≥ cebf8fd16900fdfd58c0028617944f808f97fe50, < f39d21154db87545d8f0b25d13c326f37cc32239 | ≥ cebf8fd16900fdfd58c0028617944f808f97fe50, < 6977b1a5d67097eaa4d02b0c126c04cc6e8917c0 | e7f6e3c9db4b6f259c89fd05728d024ab32acd71 | a93a63333dbdb182b87e8cc99df8b4474f867acb | 37de955c11b59050346e530143c20b10b4846527 | 645897231f960590220144b06d1f994b7eb88326 | ≥ 3.10.105, < 3.11 | ≥ 3.12.70, < 3.13 | ≥ 4.4.40, < 4.5 | ≥ 4.8.16, < 4.9 | 4.9
- linux_kernel≥ 3.10.105, < 3.11 | ≥ 3.12.70, < 3.13 | ≥ 4.4.40, < 4.5 | ≥ 4.8.16, < 5.15.99 | ≥ 5.16, < 6.1.16 | ≥ 6.2, < 6.2.3
Debian1 product
- linux< 6.1.20-1
3 vendors · 124 products
