{"cve":"CVE-2023-53234","nvd":{"published":"2025-09-15T15:15:50.420","modified":"2026-06-17T06:44:35.080","status":"Modified","description":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwatchdog: Fix kmemleak in watchdog_cdev_register\n\nkmemleak reports memory leaks in watchdog_dev_register, as follows:\nunreferenced object 0xffff888116233000 (size 2048):\n  comm \"\"modprobe\"\", pid 28147, jiffies 4353426116 (age 61.741s)\n  hex dump (first 32 bytes):\n    80 fa b9 05 81 88 ff ff 08 30 23 16 81 88 ff ff  .........0#.....\n    08 30 23 16 81 88 ff ff 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  .0#.............\n  backtrace:\n    [<000000007f001ffd>] __kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x157/0x220\n    [<000000006a389304>] kmalloc_trace+0x21/0x110\n    [<000000008d640eea>] watchdog_dev_register+0x4e/0x780 [watchdog]\n    [<0000000053c9f248>] __watchdog_register_device+0x4f0/0x680 [watchdog]\n    [<00000000b2979824>] watchdog_register_device+0xd2/0x110 [watchdog]\n    [<000000001f730178>] 0xffffffffc10880ae\n    [<000000007a1a8bcc>] do_one_initcall+0xcb/0x4d0\n    [<00000000b98be325>] do_init_module+0x1ca/0x5f0\n    [<0000000046d08e7c>] load_module+0x6133/0x70f0\n    ...\n\nunreferenced object 0xffff888105b9fa80 (size 16):\n  comm \"\"modprobe\"\", pid 28147, jiffies 4353426116 (age 61.741s)\n  hex dump (first 16 bytes):\n    77 61 74 63 68 64 6f 67 31 00 b9 05 81 88 ff ff  watchdog1.......\n  backtrace:\n    [<000000007f001ffd>] __kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x157/0x220\n    [<00000000486ab89b>] __kmalloc_node_track_caller+0x44/0x1b0\n    [<000000005a39aab0>] kvasprintf+0xb5/0x140\n    [<0000000024806f85>] kvasprintf_const+0x55/0x180\n    [<000000009276cb7f>] kobject_set_name_vargs+0x56/0x150\n    [<00000000a92e820b>] dev_set_name+0xab/0xe0\n    [<00000000cec812c6>] watchdog_dev_register+0x285/0x780 [watchdog]\n    [<0000000053c9f248>] __watchdog_register_device+0x4f0/0x680 [watchdog]\n    [<00000000b2979824>] watchdog_register_device+0xd2/0x110 [watchdog]\n    [<000000001f730178>] 0xffffffffc10880ae\n    [<000000007a1a8bcc>] do_one_initcall+0xcb/0x4d0\n    [<00000000b98be325>] do_init_module+0x1ca/0x5f0\n    [<0000000046d08e7c>] load_module+0x6133/0x70f0\n    ...\n\nThe reason is that put_device is not be called if cdev_device_add fails\nand wdd->id != 0.\n\nwatchdog_cdev_register\n  wd_data = kzalloc                             [1]\n  err = dev_set_name                            [2]\n  ..\n  err = cdev_device_add\n  if (err) {\n    if (wdd->id == 0) {  // wdd->id != 0\n      ..\n    }\n    return err;  // [1],[2] would be leaked\n\nTo fix it, call put_device in all wdd->id cases.","cvss_v4":null,"cvss_v3":{"version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","score":5.5},"cwes":["CWE-401"],"references":["https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/13721a2ac66b246f5802ba1b75ad8637e53eeecc","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/23cc41c3f19c4d858c3708f1c0a06e94958e6c3b","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/50808d034e199fe3ff7a9d2068a4eebeb6b4098a","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/59e391b3fc507a15b7e8e9d9f4de87cae177c366","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c1655600f4f2839fb844fe8c70b2b65fadc7a56"],"products":["linux:linux_kernel"],"source":"nvd","synced_at":"2026-10-19T22:08:41.295252406+00:00"},"epss":{"cve":"CVE-2023-53234","score":0.0016,"percentile":0.05119,"date":"2026-10-31"},"kev":null,"osv":[],"attribution":["This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.","EPSS scores: FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System, https://www.first.org/epss","Known exploited vulnerabilities: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","Package advisories: OSV (https://osv.dev), from the GitHub Advisory Database, PyPA, Go, RustSec and other ecosystem databases, under CC-BY 4.0 or CC0","CVE records: the CVE Program's CVE List (https://www.cve.org), under its terms of use (https://www.cve.org/Legal/TermsOfUse). CVE is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation; this product is not affiliated with the CVE Program."]}