CVE-2023-53482

What it actually does

Memory leak of iommu_group objects occurs when iommu_group_grate_file() fails during iommu_group_alloc(), as the allocated group is not destroyed on the error path.

Why it matters to the business

Repeated IOMMU group allocation errors can gradually exhaust kernel memory, leading to degraded system stability and potential service disruptions in environments relying on IOMMU for device virtualization or isolation; low exploitability reduces immediate urgency but affects long-term reliability in affected Linux distributions and DPDK deployments.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access triggers repeated IOMMU group allocation failures through crafted device or container operations that hit the faulty error path, causing gradual memory leakage without direct code execution; referenced threat actor activity around related container privilege escalation does not appear to leverage this specific leak.

How to fix it

Upgrade to fixed kernel versions containing commit f119ef452e2d82d912797273cb790a86f1125b3e or later; for DPDK packages on Debian 11-14 apply versions 19.11.5-1 or newer; rebuild and deploy updated kernels or packages across all affected systems.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm kernel source contains the error-destroy logic after iommu_group_grate_file() failure; verify package versions match the listed fixed releases; run IOMMU-related kselftests to ensure no leaks under failure injection.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local access or control over a process that interacts with IOMMU group allocation
2. Trigger IOMMU group creation paths that invoke iommu_group_grate_file()
3. Force failure conditions in the file creation step to exercise the leaky error unwind
4. Repeat to accumulate leaked kernel objects until resource pressure manifests

How to detect it

Review kernel logs for IOMMU group allocation warnings or failures around iommu_group_alloc; inspect memory usage trends via /proc/meminfo or slabinfo for unexpected growth in IOMMU-related objects; correlate with container or device attach events.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize kernel and DPDK updates on all systems within standard maintenance windows given low EPSS and absence from KEV
• Monitor kernel memory usage and IOMMU allocation patterns for gradual increases
• Review container and virtualization workloads that heavily use IOMMU for potential error paths