CVE-2023-52662

What it actually does

Memory leak in vmw_gmrid_man_get_node when ida_alloc_max fails, leaving *res allocated via kmalloc and ttm_resource_init unfreed.

Why it matters to the business

Gradual memory exhaustion on systems using the VMware graphics driver can cause instability, performance degradation, or crashes; widespread kernel dependency increases exposure across many distributions.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access triggers the error path in vmw_gmrid_man_get_node repeatedly by forcing ida_alloc_max failures, accumulating unfreed memory until system resources are depleted.

How to fix it

Upgrade the Linux kernel to a version containing commit 03b1072616a8f7d6e8594f643b416a9467c83fbf or later; apply the fixed package versions for affected distributions such as wireshark 2.6.3-1~ubuntu14.04.1 and equivalents on 16.04/18.04.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the running kernel includes commit 03b1072616a8f7d6e8594f643b416a9467c83fbf; inspect vmw_gmrid_man_get_node for proper resource cleanup on ida_alloc_max failure; monitor for absence of repeated allocation leaks under error conditions.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local access to a system with the vulnerable vmwgfx driver loaded
2. Craft repeated operations that invoke vmw_gmrid_man_get_node and induce ida_alloc_max failure
3. Accumulate leaked memory allocations over multiple attempts
4. Trigger system instability or denial of service from resource exhaustion

How to detect it

Search kernel logs and memory accounting tools for repeated allocation patterns without corresponding frees originating from vmw_gmrid_man_get_node; correlate with local process activity on graphics-related syscalls.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize kernel updates on all systems exposing the vmwgfx driver
• Verify fixed versions are deployed before the next maintenance window
• Review local attack surface and restrict unprivileged access where possible