CVE-2023-54189 pstore/ram: Add check for kstrdup

Not scored Published 30 Dec 2025 Updated 23 May 2026

A missing check for kstrdup return value in the Linux kernel pstore/ram module can lead to a NULL pointer dereference and system crash.

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-2023-54189?

CVE-2023-54189 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 30 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:

pstore/ram: Add check for kstrdup

Add check for the return value of kstrdup() and return the error if it fails in order to avoid NULL pointer dereference.

Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-54189?

How do I fix CVE-2023-54189?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Is CVE-2023-54189 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-54189 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as BELL-CVE-2023-54189, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54189, GHSA-xhm8-cfh8-8hcp, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54189.