CVE-2023-54311
Deadlock Vulnerability in Linux ext4 Inline Directory Conversion
Publication date: 2025-12-30
Last updated on: 2025-12-30
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | 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 a deadlock issue in the Linux kernel's ext4 filesystem when operating in no journal mode. Specifically, the functions ext4_finish_convert_inline_dir() and ext4_incvert_inline_data_nolock() can cause a self-deadlock by attempting to acquire a directory lock they already hold, leading to the system hanging or freezing during certain file operations involving inline directories or data.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can cause the system to deadlock (freeze) when performing certain file operations on ext4 filesystems in no journal mode. This can lead to system instability, unresponsiveness, or crashes, potentially disrupting services or applications relying on the filesystem.
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by attempting to reproduce the deadlock condition on a system using ext4 in no journal mode with inline directories. The provided reproducer commands are: mke2fs -Fq -t ext2 -O inline_data -b 4k /dev/vdc 64 mount -t ext4 -o dirsync /dev/vdc /vdc cd /vdc mkdir file0 cd file0 touch file0 touch file1 attr -s BurnSpaceInEA -V abcde . touch supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Running these commands can help detect if the system is vulnerable by triggering the deadlock.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
Immediate mitigation involves updating the Linux kernel to a version where this deadlock issue in ext4 inline directory handling in no journal mode has been fixed. Avoid using ext4 in no journal mode with inline directories until the patch is applied.