CVE-2023-53515
virtio-mmio: don't break lifecycle of vm_dev
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: virtio-mmio: don't break lifecycle of vm_dev vm_dev has a separate lifecycle because it has a 'struct device' embedded. Thus, having a release callback for it is correct. Allocating the vm_dev struct with devres totally breaks this protection, though. Instead of waiting for the vm_dev release callback, the memory is freed when the platform_device is removed. Resulting in a use-after-free when finally the callback is to be called. To easily see the problem, compile the kernel with CONFIG_DEBUG_KOBJECT_RELEASE and unbind with sysfs. The fix is easy, don't use devres in this case. Found during my research about object lifetime problems.
INFO
Published Date :
Oct. 1, 2025, 12:15 p.m.
Last Modified :
Oct. 2, 2025, 7:11 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Solution
- Update the Linux kernel to the patched version.
- Recompile the kernel without devres for vm_dev.
- Test the fix by unbinding sysfs device.
- Verify object lifetime management is corrected.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2023-53515.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2023-53515 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2023-53515
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2023-53515 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2023-53515 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Oct. 01, 2025
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: virtio-mmio: don't break lifecycle of vm_dev vm_dev has a separate lifecycle because it has a 'struct device' embedded. Thus, having a release callback for it is correct. Allocating the vm_dev struct with devres totally breaks this protection, though. Instead of waiting for the vm_dev release callback, the memory is freed when the platform_device is removed. Resulting in a use-after-free when finally the callback is to be called. To easily see the problem, compile the kernel with CONFIG_DEBUG_KOBJECT_RELEASE and unbind with sysfs. The fix is easy, don't use devres in this case. Found during my research about object lifetime problems. Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2dcb368fe5a8eee498ca75c93a18ce2f3b0d6a8e Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3ff54d904fafabd0912796785e53cce4e69ca123 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/55c91fedd03d7b9cf0c5199b2eb12b9b8e95281a Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b7d5c2dd664eb8b9a06ecbc06e28d39359c422e Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/97a2d55ead76358245b446efd87818e919196d7a Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/af5818c35173e096085c6ae2e3aac605d3d15e41 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b788ad3b2468512339c05f23692e36860264e674