CVE-2023-53993 PCI/DOE: Fix memory leak with CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS=y

Not scored Published 24 Dec 2025 Updated 11 May 2026

A memory leak in the Linux kernel PCI DOE subsystem can cause denial of service when debug objects are enabled.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Not needed
Attackable: Local or same network only
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: Available

What is CVE-2023-53993?

CVE-2023-53993 is a memory corruption vulnerability in Linux, published on 24 Dec 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:

PCI/DOE: Fix memory leak with CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS=y

After a pci_doe_task completes, its work_struct needs to be destroyed to avoid a memory leak with CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS=y.

Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53993?

How do I fix CVE-2023-53993?

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-2023-53993 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53993 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as BELL-CVE-2023-53993, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53993, GHSA-4vfj-wgm2-99m2, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53993.