CVE-2023-53012: thermal: core: call put_device() only after device_register() fails

Severity: medium (CVSS 5.5 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2025-03-27 · updated 2026-06-17

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: thermal: core: call put_device() only after device_register() fails put_device() shouldn't be called before a prior call to device_register(). __thermal_cooling_device_register() doesn't follow that properly and needs fixing. Also thermal_cooling_device_destroy_sysfs() is getting called unnecessarily on few error paths. Fix all this by placing the calls at the right place. Based on initial work done by Caleb Connolly.

Affected products

Linux kernel: from 5.15.86 before 5.16; from 6.0.16 before 6.1; from 6.1.2 before 6.2; 6.2-rc1, 6.2-rc2, 6.2-rc3, 6.2-rc4 — fixed in 5.16, 6.1, 6.2

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 5.16, 6.1, 6.2. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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