# CVE-2024-53198: xen: Fix the issue of resource not being properly released in xenbus_dev_probe()

> A resource leak in the Linux kernel's Xen bus probe function can lead to memory exhaustion and denial of service.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 Dec 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-53198, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-53198, GHSA-hqf9-cpxc-q47r, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-53198

## What is CVE-2024-53198?

CVE-2024-53198 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Dec 2024. 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:

xen: Fix the issue of resource not being properly released in xenbus_dev_probe()

This patch fixes an issue in the function xenbus_dev_probe(). In the
xenbus_dev_probe() function, within the if (err) branch at line 313, the
program incorrectly returns err directly without releasing the resources
allocated by err = drv->probe(dev, id). As the return value is non-zero,
the upper layers assume the processing logic has failed. However, the probe
operation was performed earlier without a corresponding remove operation.
Since the probe actually allocates resources, failing to perform the remove
operation could lead to problems.

To fix this issue, we followed the resource release logic of the
xenbus_dev_remove() function by adding a new block fail_remove before the
fail_put block. After entering the branch if (err) at line 313, the
function will use a goto statement to jump to the fail_remove block,
ensuring that the previously acquired resources are correctly released,
thus preventing the reference count leak.

This bug was identified by an experimental static analysis tool developed
by our team. The tool specializes in analyzing reference count operations
and detecting potential issues where resources are not properly managed.
In this case, the tool flagged the missing release operation as a
potential problem, which led to the development of this patch.

Weakness: CWE-401 (Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-53198?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-53198?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-53198 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-53198 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-2024-53198 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-53198 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Dec 2024. 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-2024-53198 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-2024-53198/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53198/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-53198
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-53198
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-53198

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53198/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.