CVE-2023-53693 USB: gadget: Fix the memory leak in raw_gadget driver
A memory leak in the Linux kernel raw_gadget driver allows local attackers to exhaust system memory, causing denial of service.
- 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
What is CVE-2023-53693?
CVE-2023-53693 is a memory corruption vulnerability in Linux, published on 22 Oct 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:
USB: gadget: Fix the memory leak in raw_gadget driver
Currently, increasing raw_dev->count happens before invoke the raw_queue_event(), if the raw_queue_event() return error, invoke raw_release() will not trigger the dev_free() to be called.
[ 268.905865][ T5067] raw-gadget.0 gadget.0: failed to queue event [ 268.912053][ T5067] udc dummy_udc.0: failed to start USB Raw Gadget: -12 [ 268.918885][ T5067] raw-gadget.0: probe of gadget.0 failed with error -12 [ 268.925956][ T5067] UDC core: USB Raw Gadget: couldn't find an available UDC or it's busy [ 268.934657][ T5067] misc raw-gadget: fail, usb_gadget_register_driver returned -16
BUG: memory leak
[<ffffffff8154bf94>] kmalloc_trace+0x24/0x90 mm/slab_common.c:1076 [<ffffffff8347eb55>] kmalloc include/linux/slab.h:582 [inline] [<ffffffff8347eb55>] kzalloc include/linux/slab.h:703 [inline] [<ffffffff8347eb55>] dev_new drivers/usb/gadget/legacy/raw_gadget.c:191 [inline] [<ffffffff8347eb55>] raw_open+0x45/0x110 drivers/usb/gadget/legacy/raw_gadget.c:385 [<ffffffff827d1d09>] misc_open+0x1a9/0x1f0 drivers/char/misc.c:165
[<ffffffff8154bf94>] kmalloc_trace+0x24/0x90 mm/slab_common.c:1076 [<ffffffff8347cd2f>] kmalloc include/linux/slab.h:582 [inline] [<ffffffff8347cd2f>] raw_ioctl_init+0xdf/0x410 drivers/usb/gadget/legacy/raw_gadget.c:460 [<ffffffff8347dfe9>] raw_ioctl+0x5f9/0x1120 drivers/usb/gadget/legacy/raw_gadget.c:1250 [<ffffffff81685173>] vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:51 [inline]
[<ffffffff8154bf94>] kmalloc_trace+0x24/0x90 mm/slab_common.c:1076 [<ffffffff833ecc6a>] kmalloc include/linux/slab.h:582 [inline] [<ffffffff833ecc6a>] kzalloc include/linux/slab.h:703 [inline] [<ffffffff833ecc6a>] dummy_alloc_request+0x5a/0xe0 drivers/usb/gadget/udc/dummy_hcd.c:665 [<ffffffff833e9132>] usb_ep_alloc_request+0x22/0xd0 drivers/usb/gadget/udc/core.c:196 [<ffffffff8347f13d>] gadget_bind+0x6d/0x370 drivers/usb/gadget/legacy/raw_gadget.c:292
This commit therefore invoke kref_get() under the condition that raw_queue_event() return success.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53693?
How do I fix CVE-2023-53693?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. Memory-safe languages, compiler hardening and fuzzing prevent most new cases. More about Memory corruption.
Is CVE-2023-53693 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53693 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2023-53693, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53693, GHSA-cf5g-vjxj-5fc7, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53693.