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CVE-2023-53279: misc: vmw_balloon: fix memory leak with using debugfs_lookup()

• 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: 2025-09-16 · updated 2026-06-17
• Weakness: CWE-401

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: misc: vmw_balloon: fix memory leak with using debugfs_lookup() When calling debugfs_lookup() the result must have dput() called on it, otherwise the memory will leak over time. To make things simpler, just call debugfs_lookup_and_remove() instead which handles all of the logic at once.

Affected products

• Linux kernel: before 5.15.100; from 5.16 before 6.1.18; from 6.2 before 6.2.5 — fixed in 5.15.100, 6.1.18, 6.2.5

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 5.15.100, 6.1.18, 6.2.5. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/209cdbd07cfaa4b7385bad4eeb47e5ec1887d33d
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b94b39bf3d545671f210a2257d18e33c8b874699
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d1c545e44c1ec08bef0c0c14e632eec516431e9c
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f7651fa88b17c2d7af949981a2423179db5e9453

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