Vulnerability · Published Sep 15, 2025 · Assigned by Linux
CVE-2023-53221bpf: Fix memleak due to fentry attach failure
Medium 5.5
In plain English
A medium-severity memory leak in Linux from Linux. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 5% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix memleak due to fentry attach failure If it fails to attach fentry, the allocated bpf trampoline image will be left in the system. That can be verified by checking /proc/kallsyms. This meamleak can be verified by a simple bpf program as follows: SEC("fentry/trap_init") int fentry_run() { return 0; } It will fail to attach trap_init because this function is freed after kernel init, and then we can find the trampoline image is left in the system by checking /proc/kallsyms. $ tail /proc/kallsyms ffffffffc0613000 t bpf_trampoline_6442453466_1 [bpf] ffffffffc06c3000 t bpf_trampoline_6442453466_1 [bpf] $ bpftool btf dump file /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux | grep "FUNC 'trap_init'" [2522] FUNC 'trap_init' type_id=119 linkage=static $ echo $((6442453466 & 0x7fffffff)) 2522 Note that there are two left bpf trampoline images, that is because the libbpf will fallback to raw tracepoint if -EINVAL is returned.
Affected packages & fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | linux | 6.1.52-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Debian:13 | linux | 6.4.4-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Debian:14 | linux | 6.4.4-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-allwinner-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-aws | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-aws-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-aws-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-aws-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-azure-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-fde | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-fde-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-azure-fde-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gcp | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gcp-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-gcp-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gcp-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gcp-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gke | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-gkeop | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-hwe-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-hwe-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-hwe-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-hwe-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-ibm | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-intel | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-intel-iot-realtime | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-intel-iotg | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-kvm | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra-igx | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oem-5.17 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.0 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.1 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.11 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-oem-6.8 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oracle | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-oracle-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-raspi | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-raspi-realtime | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-realtime | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-realtime | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-riscv | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | linux-riscv | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-riscv-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-riscv-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-starfive-5.19 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-starfive-6.2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-starfive-6.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | linux-xilinx-zynqmp | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53221 |
Affected products (as reported)
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | e21aa341785c679dd409c8cb71f864c00fe6c463 – before 20109ddd5bea2c24d790debf5d02584ef24c3f5ee21aa341785c679dd409c8cb71f864c00fe6c463 – before f72c67d1a82dada7d6d504c806e111e913721a30e21aa341785c679dd409c8cb71f864c00fe6c463 – before 6aa27775db63ba8c7c73891c7dfb71ddc230c48de21aa341785c679dd409c8cb71f864c00fe6c463 – before 108598c39eefbedc9882273ac0df96127a629220e21d2b92354b3cd25dd774ebb0f0e52ff04a786185d177f56e5256e14b74a65940f981f6e3e8bb325.10.28 – before 5.115.11.11 – before 5.12 |
| Linux | Linux | 5.12 |
Weakness: CWE-401 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H