CVE-2023-54162 ksmbd: fix possible memory leak in smb2_lock()
A memory leak in the ksmbd kernel module allows attackers to cause a denial of service by exhausting system memory.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2023-54162?
CVE-2023-54162 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux, published on 30 Dec 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ksmbd: fix possible memory leak in smb2_lock()
argv needs to be free when setup_async_work fails or when the current process is woken up.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-54162?
How do I fix CVE-2023-54162?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2023-54162 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-54162 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2023-54162, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54162, GHSA-gpc8-vf5r-8fj8, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54162.