CVE-2023-53555: mm/damon/core: initialize damo_filter->list from damos_new_filter()

Severity: medium (CVSS 5.5 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2025-10-04 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-908

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/damon/core: initialize damo_filter->list from damos_new_filter() damos_new_filter() is not initializing the list field of newly allocated filter object. However, DAMON sysfs interface and DAMON_RECLAIM are not initializing it after calling damos_new_filter(). As a result, accessing uninitialized memory is possible. Actually, adding multiple DAMOS filters via DAMON sysfs interface caused NULL pointer dereferencing. Initialize the field just after the allocation from damos_new_filter().

Affected products

Linux kernel: from 6.3 before 6.4.11; 6.5-rc1, 6.5-rc2, 6.5-rc3, 6.5-rc4, 6.5-rc5 — fixed in 6.4.11

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 6.4.11. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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