CVE-2023-53594

MEDIUM
Published Oct 4, 2025 Modified Mar 21, 2026 CWE-401

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: driver core: fix resource leak in device_add() When calling kobject_add() failed in device_add(), it will call cleanup_glue_dir() to free resource. But in kobject_add(), dev->kobj.parent has been set to NULL. This will cause resource leak. The process is as follows: device_add() get_device_parent() class_dir_create_and_add() kobject_add() //kobject_get() ... dev->kobj.parent = kobj; ... kobject_add() //failed, but set dev->kobj.parent = NULL ... glue_dir = get_glue_dir(dev) //glue_dir = NULL, and goto //"Error" label ... cleanup_glue_dir() //becaues glue_dir is NULL, not call //kobject_put() The preceding problem may cause insmod mac80211_hwsim.ko to failed. sysfs: cannot create duplicate filename '/devices/virtual/mac80211_hwsim' Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x8e/0xd1 sysfs_warn_dup.cold+0x1c/0x29 sysfs_create_dir_ns+0x224/0x280 kobject_add_internal+0x2aa/0x880 kobject_add+0x135/0x1a0 get_device_parent+0x3d7/0x590 device_add+0x2aa/0x1cb0 device_create_groups_vargs+0x1eb/0x260 device_create+0xdc/0x110 mac80211_hwsim_new_radio+0x31e/0x4790 [mac80211_hwsim] init_mac80211_hwsim+0x48d/0x1000 [mac80211_hwsim] do_one_initcall+0x10f/0x630 do_init_module+0x19f/0x5e0 load_module+0x64b7/0x6eb0 __do_sys_finit_module+0x140/0x200 do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0 </TASK> kobject_add_internal failed for mac80211_hwsim with -EEXIST, don't try to register things with the same name in the same directory.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5
MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-401 CWE-401

Affected Products

Vendor Product
linux linux_kernel
linux linux_kernel
linux linux_kernel
linux linux_kernel
linux linux_kernel
linux linux_kernel

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-53594? +
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: driver core: fix resource leak in device_add() When calling kobject_add() failed in device_add(), it will call cleanup_glue_dir() to free resource. But in kobject_add(), dev->kobj.parent has been set to NULL. This will cause resource leak. The process is as follows: device_add() get_device_parent() class_dir_create_and_add() kobject_add() //kobject_get() ... dev->kobj.parent = kobj; ... kobject_add() //failed, but set dev->kobj.parent = NULL ... glue_dir = get_glue_dir(dev) //glue_dir = NULL, and goto //"Error" label ... cleanup_glue_dir() //becaues glue_dir is NULL, not call //kobject_put() The preceding problem may cause insmod mac80211_hwsim.ko to failed. sysfs: cannot create duplicate filename '/devices/virtual/mac80211_hwsim' Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x8e/0xd1 sysfs_warn_dup.cold+0x1c/0x29 sysfs_create_dir_ns+0x224/0x280 kobject_add_internal+0x2aa/0x880 kobject_add+0x135/0x1a0 get_device_parent+0x3d7/0x590 device_add+0x2aa/0x1cb0 device_create_groups_vargs+0x1eb/0x260 device_create+0xdc/0x110 mac80211_hwsim_new_radio+0x31e/0x4790 [mac80211_hwsim] init_mac80211_hwsim+0x48d/0x1000 [mac80211_hwsim] do_one_initcall+0x10f/0x630 do_init_module+0x19f/0x5e0 load_module+0x64b7/0x6eb0 __do_sys_finit_module+0x140/0x200 do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0 </TASK> kobject_add_internal failed for mac80211_hwsim with -EEXIST, don't try to register things with the same name in the same directory. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2023-53594? +
CVE-2023-53594 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-53594? +
CVE-2023-53594 affects products from linux, specifically: linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2023-53594? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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