CVE-2023-54272
Unknown Unknown - Not Provided
Null Pointer Dereference in Linux Kernel NTFS3 fs Module

Publication date: 2025-12-30

Last updated on: 2025-12-30

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/ntfs3: Fix a possible null-pointer dereference in ni_clear() In a previous commit c1006bd13146, ni->mi.mrec in ni_write_inode() could be NULL, and thus a NULL check is added for this variable. However, in the same call stack, ni->mi.mrec can be also dereferenced in ni_clear(): ntfs_evict_inode(inode) ni_write_inode(inode, ...) ni = ntfs_i(inode); is_rec_inuse(ni->mi.mrec) -> Add a NULL check by previous commit ni_clear(ntfs_i(inode)) is_rec_inuse(ni->mi.mrec) -> No check Thus, a possible null-pointer dereference may exist in ni_clear(). To fix it, a NULL check is added in this function.
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Meta Information
Published
2025-12-30
Last Modified
2025-12-30
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2025-12-30
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-15
NVD
CVE-2023-54272
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN
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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a possible null-pointer dereference in the Linux kernel's NTFS3 filesystem code, specifically in the function ni_clear(). A previous fix added a NULL check for ni->mi.mrec in ni_write_inode(), but ni_clear() still dereferences ni->mi.mrec without checking if it is NULL. This can lead to a null-pointer dereference when ni_clear() is called, potentially causing a kernel crash or instability. The fix involves adding a NULL check in ni_clear() to prevent this issue.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause a null-pointer dereference in the Linux kernel when handling NTFS filesystem operations, which may lead to a kernel crash or system instability. This could result in denial of service or unexpected system behavior when accessing NTFS filesystems.

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