# CVE-2023-52457: serial: 8250: omap: Don't skip resource freeing if pm_runtime_resume_and_get() failed

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's 8250 OMAP serial driver allows attackers to potentially execute code or cause a denial of service.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 23 Feb 2024
- **Updated:** 23 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-52457, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-52457, GHSA-9xmv-37c3-q98h, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-52457

## What is CVE-2023-52457?

CVE-2023-52457 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 23 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

serial: 8250: omap: Don't skip resource freeing if pm_runtime_resume_and_get() failed

Returning an error code from .remove() makes the driver core emit the
little helpful error message:

	remove callback returned a non-zero value. This will be ignored.

and then remove the device anyhow. So all resources that were not freed
are leaked in this case. Skipping serial8250_unregister_port() has the
potential to keep enough of the UART around to trigger a use-after-free.

So replace the error return (and with it the little helpful error
message) by a more useful error message and continue to cleanup.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-52457?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-52457?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-52457 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52457 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-52457 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-52457 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 23 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52457 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52457/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52457/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-52457
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-52457
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-52457

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52457/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.