CVE-2023-53341: of/fdt: run soc memory setup when early_init_dt_scan_memory 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: 2025-09-17 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-908

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: of/fdt: run soc memory setup when early_init_dt_scan_memory fails If memory has been found early_init_dt_scan_memory now returns 1. If it hasn't found any memory it will return 0, allowing other memory setup mechanisms to carry on. Previously early_init_dt_scan_memory always returned 0 without distinguishing between any kind of memory setup being done or not. Any code path after the early_init_dt_scan memory call in the ramips plat_mem_setup code wouldn't be executed anymore. Making early_init_dt_scan_memory the only way to initialize the memory. Some boards, including my mt7621 based Cudy X6 board, depend on memory initialization being done via the soc_info.mem_detect function pointer. Those wouldn't be able to obtain memory and panic the kernel during early bootup with the message "early_init_dt_alloc_memory_arch: Failed to allocate 12416 bytes align=0x40".

Affected products

Linux kernel: from 5.17 before 6.0.19; from 6.1 before 6.1.5; 6.2-rc1, 6.2-rc2 — fixed in 6.0.19, 6.1.5

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 6.0.19, 6.1.5. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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