CVE-2023-53101

ext4: zero i_disksize when initializing the bootloader inode

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: May 2, 2025 at 03:55 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 06:44 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
MEDIUM5.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: zero i_disksize when initializing the bootloader inode If the boot loader inode has never been used before, the EXT4_IOC_SWAP_BOOT inode will initialize it, including setting the i_size to 0. However, if the "never before used" boot loader has a non-zero i_size, then i_disksize will be non-zero, and the inconsistency between i_size and i_disksize can trigger a kernel warning: WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 2580 at fs/ext4/file.c:319 CPU: 0 PID: 2580 Comm: bb Not tainted 6.3.0-rc1-00004-g703695902cfa RIP: 0010:ext4_file_write_iter+0xbc7/0xd10 Call Trace: vfs_write+0x3b1/0x5c0 ksys_write+0x77/0x160 __x64_sys_write+0x22/0x30 do_syscall_64+0x39/0x80 Reproducer: 1. create corrupted image and mount it: mke2fs -t ext4 /tmp/foo.img 200 debugfs -wR "sif <5> size 25700" /tmp/foo.img mount -t ext4 /tmp/foo.img /mnt cd /mnt echo 123 > file 2. Run the reproducer program: posix_memalign(&buf, 1024, 1024) fd = open("file", O_RDWR | O_DIRECT); ioctl(fd, EXT4_IOC_SWAP_BOOT); write(fd, buf, 1024); Fix this by setting i_disksize as well as i_size to zero when initiaizing the boot loader inode.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

v < 4.14.3103.10 ≤ v < 4.14.3103.10 ≤ v < 4.19.2783.10 ≤ v < 5.10.1753.10 ≤ v < 5.15.1033.10 ≤ v < 5.4.2373.10 ≤ v < 6.1.203.10 ≤ v < 6.2.73.10 ≤ v < 6.34.15 ≤ v < 4.19.2784.20 ≤ v < 5.4.2375.11 ≤ v < 5.15.1035.16 ≤ v < 6.1.205.5 ≤ v < 5.10.1756.2 ≤ v < 6.2.73.10393d1d1d76933886d5e1ce603214c9987589c6d56.3 rc1
Vendor states this is fixed in 01a821aacc64d4b05dafd239dbc9b7856686002f (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 0d8a6c9a6415999fee1259ccf1796480c026b7d6 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 3f00c476da8fe7c4c34ea16abb55d74127120413 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 59eee0cdf8c036f554add97a4da7c06d7a9ff34a (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 9cb27b1e76f0cc886ac09055bc41c0ab3f205167 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 9e9a4cc5486356158554f6ad73027d8635a48b34 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in d6c1447e483c05dbcfb3ff77ac04237a82070b8c (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in f5361da1e60d54ec81346aee8e3d8baf1be0b762 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 3.10 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.14.310 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.19.278 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.175 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.103 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.4.237 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.20 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.2.7 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.3 (unaffected)

References (8)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/01a821aacc64d4b05dafd239dbc9b7856686002f
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0d8a6c9a6415999fee1259ccf1796480c026b7d6
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f00c476da8fe7c4c34ea16abb55d74127120413
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/59eee0cdf8c036f554add97a4da7c06d7a9ff34a
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9cb27b1e76f0cc886ac09055bc41c0ab3f205167
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e9a4cc5486356158554f6ad73027d8635a48b34
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d6c1447e483c05dbcfb3ff77ac04237a82070b8c
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f5361da1e60d54ec81346aee8e3d8baf1be0b762

CVSS

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED
CWE
NVD-CWE-noinfo

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