What is CVE-2023-53190?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vxlan: Fix memory leaks in error path The memory allocated by vxlan_vnigroup_init() is not freed in the error path, leading to memory leaks [1]. Fix by calling vxlan_vnigroup_uninit() in the error path. The leaks can be reproduced by annotating gro_cells_init() with ALLOW_ERROR_INJECTION() and then running: # echo "100" > /sys/kernel/debug/fail_function/probability # echo "1" > /sys/kernel/debug/fail_function/times # echo "gro_cells_init" > /sys/kernel/debug/fail_function/inject # printf %#x -12 > /sys/kernel/debug/fail_function/gro_cells_init/retval # ip link add name vxlan0 type vxlan dstport 4789 external vnifilter RTNETLINK answers: Cannot allocate memory [1] unreferenced object 0xffff88810db84a00 (size 512): comm "ip", pid 330, jiffies 4295010045 (age 66.016s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): f8 d5 76 0e 81 88 ff ff 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 02 ..v............. 03 00 04 00 48 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 04 00 01 00 ....H........... backtrace: [ ] kmalloc_trace+0x2a/0x60 [ ] vxlan_vnigroup_init+0x4c/0x160 [ ] vxlan_init+0x1ae/0x280 [ ] register_netdevice+0x57a/0x16d0 [ ] __vxlan_dev_create+0x7c7/0xa50 [ ] vxlan_newlink+0xd6/0x130 [ ] __rtnl_newlink+0x112b/0x18a0 [ ] rtnl_newlink+0x6c/0xa0 [ ] rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x43f/0xd40 [ ] netlink_rcv_skb+0x170/0x440 [ ] netlink_unicast+0x53f/0x810 [ ] netlink_sendmsg+0x958/0xe70 [ ] ____sys_sendmsg+0x78f/0xa90 [ ] ___sys_sendmsg+0x13a/0x1e0 [ ] __sys_sendmsg+0x11c/0x1f0 [ ] do_syscall_64+0x38/0x80 unreferenced object 0xffff88810e76d5f8 (size 192): comm "ip", pid 330, jiffies 4295010045 (age 66.016s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 04 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 db e1 4f e7 00 00 00 00 ..........O..... 08 d6 76 0e 81 88 ff ff 08 d6 76 0e 81 88 ff ff ..v.......v..... backtrace: [ ] __kmalloc_node+0x4e/0x90 [ ] kvmalloc_node+0xa6/0x1f0 [ ] bucket_table_alloc.isra.0+0x83/0x460 [ ] rhashtable_init+0x43b/0x7c0 [ ] vxlan_vnigroup_init+0x6c/0x160 [ ] vxlan_init+0x1ae/0x280 [ ] register_netdevice+0x57a/0x16d0 [ ] __vxlan_dev_create+0x7c7/0xa50 [ ] vxlan_newlink+0xd6/0x130 [ ] __rtnl_newlink+0x112b/0x18a0 [ ] rtnl_newlink+0x6c/0xa0 [ ] rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x43f/0xd40 [ ] netlink_rcv_skb+0x170/0x440 [ ] netlink_unicast+0x53f/0x810 [ ] netlink_sendmsg+0x958/0xe70 [ ] ____sys_sendmsg+0x78f/0xa90

How severe is CVE-2023-53190?

CVE-2023-53190 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-53190 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (6th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-53190?

CVE-2023-53190 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-53190?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

Does CVE-2023-53190 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2023-53190 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-59786.

When was CVE-2023-53190 published?

CVE-2023-53190 was published on 2025-09-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-53190

CVE-2023-53190 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-401.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (6th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2023-59786
Weakness: CWE-401
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2025-09-15
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vxlan: Fix memory leaks in error path The memory allocated by vxlan_vnigroup_init() is not freed in the error path, leading to memory leaks [1]. Fix by calling vxlan_vnigroup_uninit() in the error path. The leaks can be reproduced by annotating gro_cells_init() with ALLOW_ERROR_INJECTION() and then running: # echo "100" > /sys/kernel/debug/fail_function/probability # echo "1" > /sys/kernel/debug/fail_function/times # echo "gro_cells_init" > /sys/kernel/debug/fail_function/inject # printf %#x -12 > /sys/kernel/debug/fail_function/gro_cells_init/retval # ip link add name vxlan0 type vxlan dstport 4789 external vnifilter RTNETLINK answers: Cannot allocate memory [1] unreferenced object 0xffff88810db84a00 (size 512): comm "ip", pid 330, jiffies 4295010045 (age 66.016s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): f8 d5 76 0e 81 88 ff ff 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 02 ..v............. 03 00 04 00 48 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 04 00 01 00 ....H........... backtrace: [<ffffffff81a3097a>] kmalloc_trace+0x2a/0x60 [<ffffffff82f049fc>] vxlan_vnigroup_init+0x4c/0x160 [<ffffffff82ecd69e>] vxlan_init+0x1ae/0x280 [<ffffffff836858ca>] register_netdevice+0x57a/0x16d0 [<ffffffff82ef67b7>] __vxlan_dev_create+0x7c7/0xa50 [<ffffffff82ef6ce6>] vxlan_newlink+0xd6/0x130 [<ffffffff836d02ab>] __rtnl_newlink+0x112b/0x18a0 [<ffffffff836d0a8c>] rtnl_newlink+0x6c/0xa0 [<ffffffff836c0ddf>] rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x43f/0xd40 [<ffffffff83908ce0>] netlink_rcv_skb+0x170/0x440 [<ffffffff839066af>] netlink_unicast+0x53f/0x810 [<ffffffff839072d8>] netlink_sendmsg+0x958/0xe70 [<ffffffff835c319f>] ____sys_sendmsg+0x78f/0xa90 [<ffffffff835cd6da>] ___sys_sendmsg+0x13a/0x1e0 [<ffffffff835cd94c>] __sys_sendmsg+0x11c/0x1f0 [<ffffffff8424da78>] do_syscall_64+0x38/0x80 unreferenced object 0xffff88810e76d5f8 (size 192): comm "ip", pid 330, jiffies 4295010045 (age 66.016s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 04 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 db e1 4f e7 00 00 00 00 ..........O..... 08 d6 76 0e 81 88 ff ff 08 d6 76 0e 81 88 ff ff ..v.......v..... backtrace: [<ffffffff81a3162e>] __kmalloc_node+0x4e/0x90 [<ffffffff81a0e166>] kvmalloc_node+0xa6/0x1f0 [<ffffffff8276e1a3>] bucket_table_alloc.isra.0+0x83/0x460 [<ffffffff8276f18b>] rhashtable_init+0x43b/0x7c0 [<ffffffff82f04a1c>] vxlan_vnigroup_init+0x6c/0x160 [<ffffffff82ecd69e>] vxlan_init+0x1ae/0x280 [<ffffffff836858ca>] register_netdevice+0x57a/0x16d0 [<ffffffff82ef67b7>] __vxlan_dev_create+0x7c7/0xa50 [<ffffffff82ef6ce6>] vxlan_newlink+0xd6/0x130 [<ffffffff836d02ab>] __rtnl_newlink+0x112b/0x18a0 [<ffffffff836d0a8c>] rtnl_newlink+0x6c/0xa0 [<ffffffff836c0ddf>] rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x43f/0xd40 [<ffffffff83908ce0>] netlink_rcv_skb+0x170/0x440 [<ffffffff839066af>] netlink_unicast+0x53f/0x810 [<ffffffff839072d8>] netlink_sendmsg+0x958/0xe70 [<ffffffff835c319f>] ____sys_sendmsg+0x78f/0xa90

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-53190?: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vxlan: Fix memory leaks in error path The memory allocated by vxlan_vnigroup_init() is not freed in the error path, leading to memory leaks [1]. Fix by calling vxlan_vnigroup_uninit() in the error path. The leaks can be reproduced by annotating gro_cells_init() with ALLOW_ERROR_INJECTION() and then running: # echo "100" > /sys/kernel/debug/fail_function/probability # echo "1" > /sys/kernel/debug/fail_function/times # echo "gro_cells_init" > /sys/kernel/debug/fail_function/inject # printf %#x -12 > /sys/kernel/debug/fail_function/gro_cells_init/retval # ip link add name vxlan0 type vxlan dstport 4789 external vnifilter RTNETLINK answers: Cannot allocate memory [1] unreferenced object 0xffff88810db84a00 (size 512): comm "ip", pid 330, jiffies 4295010045 (age 66.016s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): f8 d5 76 0e 81 88 ff ff 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 02 ..v............. 03 00 04 00 48 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 04 00 01 00 ....H........... backtrace: [<ffffffff81a3097a>] kmalloc_trace+0x2a/0x60 [<ffffffff82f049fc>] vxlan_vnigroup_init+0x4c/0x160 [<ffffffff82ecd69e>] vxlan_init+0x1ae/0x280 [<ffffffff836858ca>] register_netdevice+0x57a/0x16d0 [<ffffffff82ef67b7>] __vxlan_dev_create+0x7c7/0xa50 [<ffffffff82ef6ce6>] vxlan_newlink+0xd6/0x130 [<ffffffff836d02ab>] __rtnl_newlink+0x112b/0x18a0 [<ffffffff836d0a8c>] rtnl_newlink+0x6c/0xa0 [<ffffffff836c0ddf>] rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x43f/0xd40 [<ffffffff83908ce0>] netlink_rcv_skb+0x170/0x440 [<ffffffff839066af>] netlink_unicast+0x53f/0x810 [<ffffffff839072d8>] netlink_sendmsg+0x958/0xe70 [<ffffffff835c319f>] ____sys_sendmsg+0x78f/0xa90 [<ffffffff835cd6da>] ___sys_sendmsg+0x13a/0x1e0 [<ffffffff835cd94c>] __sys_sendmsg+0x11c/0x1f0 [<ffffffff8424da78>] do_syscall_64+0x38/0x80 unreferenced object 0xffff88810e76d5f8 (size 192): comm "ip", pid 330, jiffies 4295010045 (age 66.016s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 04 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 db e1 4f e7 00 00 00 00 ..........O..... 08 d6 76 0e 81 88 ff ff 08 d6 76 0e 81 88 ff ff ..v.......v..... backtrace: [<ffffffff81a3162e>] __kmalloc_node+0x4e/0x90 [<ffffffff81a0e166>] kvmalloc_node+0xa6/0x1f0 [<ffffffff8276e1a3>] bucket_table_alloc.isra.0+0x83/0x460 [<ffffffff8276f18b>] rhashtable_init+0x43b/0x7c0 [<ffffffff82f04a1c>] vxlan_vnigroup_init+0x6c/0x160 [<ffffffff82ecd69e>] vxlan_init+0x1ae/0x280 [<ffffffff836858ca>] register_netdevice+0x57a/0x16d0 [<ffffffff82ef67b7>] __vxlan_dev_create+0x7c7/0xa50 [<ffffffff82ef6ce6>] vxlan_newlink+0xd6/0x130 [<ffffffff836d02ab>] __rtnl_newlink+0x112b/0x18a0 [<ffffffff836d0a8c>] rtnl_newlink+0x6c/0xa0 [<ffffffff836c0ddf>] rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x43f/0xd40 [<ffffffff83908ce0>] netlink_rcv_skb+0x170/0x440 [<ffffffff839066af>] netlink_unicast+0x53f/0x810 [<ffffffff839072d8>] netlink_sendmsg+0x958/0xe70 [<ffffffff835c319f>] ____sys_sendmsg+0x78f/0xa90
How severe is CVE-2023-53190?: CVE-2023-53190 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-53190 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (6th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-53190?: CVE-2023-53190 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-53190?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2023-53190 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2023-53190 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-59786.
When was CVE-2023-53190 published?: CVE-2023-53190 was published on 2025-09-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.2:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*

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