CVE-2023-53865
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-12-09
Last updated on: 2025-12-09
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | kernel | * |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-UNKNOWN |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is related to the Linux kernel's btrfs filesystem. When a transaction aborts with quota groups (qgroups) enabled, a warning is triggered due to improper handling of a data structure called 'dirty_extent_root'. Specifically, during the transaction abort, entries in this data structure are freed but the root pointer is not set to NULL, causing the system to reference freed memory and trigger a warning. The fix involves setting the root node to NULL after freeing the entries to prevent this warning.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
The impact of this vulnerability is primarily the triggering of kernel warnings when a btrfs transaction aborts with qgroups enabled. This warning indicates improper memory handling which could lead to system instability or crashes if not addressed. However, the description does not mention any direct security impact such as privilege escalation or data corruption.
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by monitoring the system logs for specific warning messages related to btrfs transactions with qgroups enabled. Look for kernel warning messages similar to: "WARNING: CPU: ... at fs/btrfs/transaction.c:144 btrfs_put_transaction". You can use the command `dmesg | grep btrfs_put_transaction` or `journalctl -k | grep btrfs_put_transaction` to find such warnings in the kernel logs.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability, update your Linux kernel to a version where the fix has been applied. The fix involves setting the rbtree's root node to NULL after freeing entries to avoid the warning. Until you can update, monitor for the warning messages and avoid using btrfs with qgroups enabled in a way that triggers transaction aborts if possible.