CVE-2023-53796
Unknown Unknown - Not Provided
BaseFortify

Publication date: 2025-12-09

Last updated on: 2025-12-09

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: f2fs: fix information leak in f2fs_move_inline_dirents() When converting an inline directory to a regular one, f2fs is leaking uninitialized memory to disk because it doesn't initialize the entire directory block. Fix this by zero-initializing the block. This bug was introduced by commit 4ec17d688d74 ("f2fs: avoid unneeded initializing when converting inline dentry"), which didn't consider the security implications of leaking uninitialized memory to disk. This was found by running xfstest generic/435 on a KMSAN-enabled kernel.
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Meta Information
Published
2025-12-09
Last Modified
2025-12-09
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2025-12-09
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-15
NVD
CVE-2023-53796
EUVD
EUVD-2023-60110
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux kernel *
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN
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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is in the Linux kernel's f2fs filesystem. When converting an inline directory to a regular directory, the code fails to initialize the entire directory block, causing uninitialized memory to be leaked to disk. This means that potentially sensitive data from memory could be written to disk unintentionally. The issue was introduced by a commit that avoided unnecessary initialization but did not consider the security risk of leaking uninitialized memory. The fix involves zero-initializing the directory block to prevent this leak.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can lead to an information leak where uninitialized memory contents, which may include sensitive data, are written to disk. This could allow an attacker with access to the disk to retrieve unintended information, potentially compromising confidentiality.

Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, update your Linux kernel to a version that includes the fix for CVE-2023-53796, which zero-initializes the directory block to prevent information leakage. Applying the latest kernel patches or updates from your distribution that address this issue is recommended.

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