CVE-2023-53375

tracing: Free error logs of tracing instances

Published Sep 18, 2025 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

tracing: Free error logs of tracing instances

When a tracing instance is removed, the error messages that hold errors
that occurred in the instance needs to be freed. The following reports a
memory leak:

# cd /sys/kernel/tracing
# mkdir instances/foo
# echo 'hist:keys=x' > instances/foo/events/sched/sched_switch/trigger
# cat instances/foo/error_log
[ 117.404795] hist:sched:sched_switch: error: Couldn't find field
Command: hist:keys=x
^
# rmdir instances/foo

Then check for memory leaks:

# echo scan > /sys/kernel/debug/kmemleak
# cat /sys/kernel/debug/kmemleak
unreferenced object 0xffff88810d8ec700 (size 192):
comm "bash", pid 869, jiffies 4294950577 (age 215.752s)
hex dump (first 32 bytes):
60 dd 68 61 81 88 ff ff 60 dd 68 61 81 88 ff ff `.ha....`.ha....
a0 30 8c 83 ff ff ff ff 26 00 0a 00 00 00 00 00 .0......&.......
backtrace:
[<00000000dae26536>] kmalloc_trace+0x2a/0xa0
[<00000000b2938940>] tracing_log_err+0x277/0x2e0
[<000000004a0e1b07>] parse_atom+0x966/0xb40
[<0000000023b24337>] parse_expr+0x5f3/0xdb0
[<00000000594ad074>] event_hist_trigger_parse+0x27f8/0x3560
[<00000000293a9645>] trigger_process_regex+0x135/0x1a0
[<000000005c22b4f2>] event_trigger_write+0x87/0xf0
[<000000002cadc509>] vfs_write+0x162/0x670
[<0000000059c3b9be>] ksys_write+0xca/0x170
[<00000000f1cddc00>] do_syscall_64+0x3e/0xc0
[<00000000868ac68c>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc
unreferenced object 0xffff888170c35a00 (size 32):
comm "bash", pid 869, jiffies 4294950577 (age 215.752s)
hex dump (first 32 bytes):
0a 20 20 43 6f 6d 6d 61 6e 64 3a 20 68 69 73 74 . Command: hist
3a 6b 65 79 73 3d 78 0a 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 :keys=x.........
backtrace:
[<000000006a747de5>] __kmalloc+0x4d/0x160
[<000000000039df5f>] tracing_log_err+0x29b/0x2e0
[<000000004a0e1b07>] parse_atom+0x966/0xb40
[<0000000023b24337>] parse_expr+0x5f3/0xdb0
[<00000000594ad074>] event_hist_trigger_parse+0x27f8/0x3560
[<00000000293a9645>] trigger_process_regex+0x135/0x1a0
[<000000005c22b4f2>] event_trigger_write+0x87/0xf0
[<000000002cadc509>] vfs_write+0x162/0x670
[<0000000059c3b9be>] ksys_write+0xca/0x170
[<00000000f1cddc00>] do_syscall_64+0x3e/0xc0
[<00000000868ac68c>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc

The problem is that the error log needs to be freed when the instance is
removed.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
EUVD EUVD EUVD-2025-29945 In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Free error logs of tracing instances When a tracing instance is removed, the error messages that hold errors that occurred in the instance needs to be freed. The following reports a memory leak: # cd /sys/kernel/tracing # mkdir instances/foo # echo 'hist:keys=x' > instances/foo/events/sched/sched_switch/trigger # cat instances/foo/error_log [ 117.404795] hist:sched:sched_switch: error: Couldn't find field Command: hist:keys=x ^ # rmdir instances/foo Then check for memory leaks: # echo scan > /sys/kernel/debug/kmemleak # cat /sys/kernel/debug/kmemleak unreferenced object 0xffff88810d8ec700 (size 192): comm "bash", pid 869, jiffies 4294950577 (age 215.752s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 60 dd 68 61 81 88 ff ff 60 dd 68 61 81 88 ff ff `.ha....`.ha.... a0 30 8c 83 ff ff ff ff 26 00 0a 00 00 00 00 00 .0......&....... backtrace: [<00000000dae26536>] kmalloc_trace+0x2a/0xa0 [<00000000b2938940>] tracing_log_err+0x277/0x2e0 [<000000004a0e1b07>] parse_atom+0x966/0xb40 [<0000000023b24337>] parse_expr+0x5f3/0xdb0 [<00000000594ad074>] event_hist_trigger_parse+0x27f8/0x3560 [<00000000293a9645>] trigger_process_regex+0x135/0x1a0 [<000000005c22b4f2>] event_trigger_write+0x87/0xf0 [<000000002cadc509>] vfs_write+0x162/0x670 [<0000000059c3b9be>] ksys_write+0xca/0x170 [<00000000f1cddc00>] do_syscall_64+0x3e/0xc0 [<00000000868ac68c>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc unreferenced object 0xffff888170c35a00 (size 32): comm "bash", pid 869, jiffies 4294950577 (age 215.752s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 0a 20 20 43 6f 6d 6d 61 6e 64 3a 20 68 69 73 74 . Command: hist 3a 6b 65 79 73 3d 78 0a 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 :keys=x......... backtrace: [<000000006a747de5>] __kmalloc+0x4d/0x160 [<000000000039df5f>] tracing_log_err+0x29b/0x2e0 [<000000004a0e1b07>] parse_atom+0x966/0xb40 [<0000000023b24337>] parse_expr+0x5f3/0xdb0 [<00000000594ad074>] event_hist_trigger_parse+0x27f8/0x3560 [<00000000293a9645>] trigger_process_regex+0x135/0x1a0 [<000000005c22b4f2>] event_trigger_write+0x87/0xf0 [<000000002cadc509>] vfs_write+0x162/0x670 [<0000000059c3b9be>] ksys_write+0xca/0x170 [<00000000f1cddc00>] do_syscall_64+0x3e/0xc0 [<00000000868ac68c>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc The problem is that the error log needs to be freed when the instance is removed.
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-401
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.3:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Low

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Free error logs of tracing instances When a tracing instance is removed, the error messages that hold errors that occurred in the instance needs to be freed. The following reports a memory leak: # cd /sys/kernel/tracing # mkdir instances/foo # echo 'hist:keys=x' > instances/foo/events/sched/sched_switch/trigger # cat instances/foo/error_log [ 117.404795] hist:sched:sched_switch: error: Couldn't find field Command: hist:keys=x ^ # rmdir instances/foo Then check for memory leaks: # echo scan > /sys/kernel/debug/kmemleak # cat /sys/kernel/debug/kmemleak unreferenced object 0xffff88810d8ec700 (size 192): comm "bash", pid 869, jiffies 4294950577 (age 215.752s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 60 dd 68 61 81 88 ff ff 60 dd 68 61 81 88 ff ff `.ha....`.ha.... a0 30 8c 83 ff ff ff ff 26 00 0a 00 00 00 00 00 .0......&....... backtrace: [<00000000dae26536>] kmalloc_trace+0x2a/0xa0 [<00000000b2938940>] tracing_log_err+0x277/0x2e0 [<000000004a0e1b07>] parse_atom+0x966/0xb40 [<0000000023b24337>] parse_expr+0x5f3/0xdb0 [<00000000594ad074>] event_hist_trigger_parse+0x27f8/0x3560 [<00000000293a9645>] trigger_process_regex+0x135/0x1a0 [<000000005c22b4f2>] event_trigger_write+0x87/0xf0 [<000000002cadc509>] vfs_write+0x162/0x670 [<0000000059c3b9be>] ksys_write+0xca/0x170 [<00000000f1cddc00>] do_syscall_64+0x3e/0xc0 [<00000000868ac68c>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc unreferenced object 0xffff888170c35a00 (size 32): comm "bash", pid 869, jiffies 4294950577 (age 215.752s) hex dump (first 32 bytes): 0a 20 20 43 6f 6d 6d 61 6e 64 3a 20 68 69 73 74 . Command: hist 3a 6b 65 79 73 3d 78 0a 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 :keys=x......... backtrace: [<000000006a747de5>] __kmalloc+0x4d/0x160 [<000000000039df5f>] tracing_log_err+0x29b/0x2e0 [<000000004a0e1b07>] parse_atom+0x966/0xb40 [<0000000023b24337>] parse_expr+0x5f3/0xdb0 [<00000000594ad074>] event_hist_trigger_parse+0x27f8/0x3560 [<00000000293a9645>] trigger_process_regex+0x135/0x1a0 [<000000005c22b4f2>] event_trigger_write+0x87/0xf0 [<000000002cadc509>] vfs_write+0x162/0x670 [<0000000059c3b9be>] ksys_write+0xca/0x170 [<00000000f1cddc00>] do_syscall_64+0x3e/0xc0 [<00000000868ac68c>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc The problem is that the error log needs to be freed when the instance is removed.
Title tracing: Free error logs of tracing instances
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
May 11, 2026, 7:43 PM
Reserved
Sep 17, 2025, 2:54 PM
Status
Modified
Published
Sep 18, 2025, 2:15 PM
Modified
Jun 17, 2026, 6:45 AM
Severity
Low
Public date
Sep 18, 2025, 12:00 AM