CVE-2023-54317
Zero Page Corruption in Linux dm-flakey Causes Memory Errors
Publication date: 2025-12-30
Last updated on: 2025-12-30
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
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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 occurs in the Linux kernel's dm-flakey device-mapper target when using the corrupt bio writes option. Specifically, when zeroing a range on a block device, the zero page (a memory page filled with zeros) can be corrupted. This happens because dm-flakey corrupts the content of the zero page, which should remain unchanged. As a result, programs relying on zeroed memory, such as those using calloc via glibc, may receive non-zeroed memory, leading to crashes and unexpected behavior.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
The vulnerability can cause crashes in various userspace programs that assume memory returned by mmap is zeroed, such as those using calloc. This can lead to instability and unpredictable behavior in applications relying on zeroed memory, potentially causing data corruption or application failures.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability, update the Linux kernel to a version that includes the fix for the dm-flakey zero page corruption issue. Avoid using the dm-flakey device mapper with the corrupt bio writes option until the fix is applied.