CVE-2023-54020
Vulnerability Scoring
Status: Received on 24 Dec 2025, 11:15 UTC
Published on: 24 Dec 2025, 11:15 UTC
CVSS Release:
CVE-2023-54020: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dmaengine: sf-pdma: pdma_desc memory leak fix Commit b2cc5c465c2c ("dmaengine: sf-pdma: Add multithread support for a DMA channel") changed sf_pdma_prep_dma_memcpy() to unconditionally allocate a new sf_pdma_desc each time it is called. The driver previously recycled descs, by checking the in_use flag, only allocating additional descs if the existing one was in use. This logic was removed in commit b2cc5c465c2c ("dmaengine: sf-pdma: Add multithread support for a DMA channel"), but sf_pdma_free_desc() was not changed to handle the new behaviour. As a result, each time sf_pdma_prep_dma_memcpy() is called, the previous descriptor is leaked, over time leading to memory starvation: unreferenced object 0xffffffe008447300 (size 192): comm "irq/39-mchp_dsc", pid 343, jiffies 4294906910 (age 981.200s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 00 00 00 ff 00 00 00 00 b8 c1 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ 00 00 70 08 10 00 00 00 00 00 00 c0 00 00 00 00 ..p............. backtrace: [<00000000064a04f4>] kmemleak_alloc+0x1e/0x28 [<00000000018927a7>] kmem_cache_alloc+0x11e/0x178 [<000000002aea8d16>] sf_pdma_prep_dma_memcpy+0x40/0x112 Add the missing kfree() to sf_pdma_free_desc(), and remove the redundant in_use flag.
The exploitability of CVE-2023-54020 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
No exploitability data is available for CVE-2023-54020.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2023-54020, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2023-54020, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
Unknown
Stay updated with real-time CVE vulnerabilities and take action to secure your systems. Enhance your cybersecurity posture with the latest threat intelligence and mitigation techniques. Develop the skills necessary to defend against CVEs and secure critical infrastructures. Join the top cybersecurity professionals safeguarding today's infrastructures.