# CVE-2023-52679: of: Fix double free in of_parse_phandle_with_args_map

> A double free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's device tree parsing allows attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code.

- **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:** 17 May 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-52679, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-52679, GHSA-8wqr-cpqw-79wq, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-52679

## What is CVE-2023-52679?

CVE-2023-52679 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 17 May 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:

of: Fix double free in of_parse_phandle_with_args_map

In of_parse_phandle_with_args_map() the inner loop that
iterates through the map entries calls of_node_put(new)
to free the reference acquired by the previous iteration
of the inner loop. This assumes that the value of "new" is
NULL on the first iteration of the inner loop.

Make sure that this is true in all iterations of the outer
loop by setting "new" to NULL after its value is assigned to "cur".

Extend the unittest to detect the double free and add an additional
test case that actually triggers this path.

Weakness: CWE-415 (Double Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-52679?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-52679?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-52679 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52679 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-52679 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-52679 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 17 May 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-2023-52679 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. 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-2023-52679/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52679/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-52679
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-52679
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-52679

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52679/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.