# CVE-2023-52929: nvmem: core: fix cleanup after dev_set_name()

> A resource leak in the Linux kernel nvmem driver occurs if device name setting fails, potentially leading to memory exhaustion.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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:** 27 Mar 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-52929, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-52929, GHSA-2g5f-4p47-mx3m, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-52929

## What is CVE-2023-52929?

CVE-2023-52929 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Mar 2025. 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:

nvmem: core: fix cleanup after dev_set_name()

If dev_set_name() fails, we leak nvmem->wp_gpio as the cleanup does not
put this. While a minimal fix for this would be to add the gpiod_put()
call, we can do better if we split device_register(), and use the
tested nvmem_release() cleanup code by initialising the device early,
and putting the device.

This results in a slightly larger fix, but results in clear code.

Note: this patch depends on "nvmem: core: initialise nvmem->id early"
and "nvmem: core: remove nvmem_config wp_gpio".

[Srini: Fixed subject line and error code handing with wp_gpio while applying.]

Weakness: CWE-459 (Incomplete Cleanup)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-52929?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-52929?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-52929 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52929 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-2023-52929 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-52929 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Mar 2025. 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-2023-52929 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-2023-52929/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52929/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-52929
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-52929
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-52929

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52929/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.