CVE-2023-53311

nilfs2: fix use-after-free of nilfs_root in dirtying inodes via iput

HIGH
7.8
CVSS Score
Published: September 16, 2025 at 04:11 PM UTC
Updated: August 5, 2026 at 10:24 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
HIGH7.8
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nilfs2: fix use-after-free of nilfs_root in dirtying inodes via iput During unmount process of nilfs2, nothing holds nilfs_root structure after nilfs2 detaches its writer in nilfs_detach_log_writer(). Previously, nilfs_evict_inode() could cause use-after-free read for nilfs_root if inodes are left in "garbage_list" and released by nilfs_dispose_list at the end of nilfs_detach_log_writer(), and this bug was fixed by commit 9b5a04ac3ad9 ("nilfs2: fix use-after-free bug of nilfs_root in nilfs_evict_inode()"). However, it turned out that there is another possibility of UAF in the call path where mark_inode_dirty_sync() is called from iput(): nilfs_detach_log_writer() nilfs_dispose_list() iput() mark_inode_dirty_sync() __mark_inode_dirty() nilfs_dirty_inode() __nilfs_mark_inode_dirty() nilfs_load_inode_block() --> causes UAF of nilfs_root struct This can happen after commit 0ae45f63d4ef ("vfs: add support for a lazytime mount option"), which changed iput() to call mark_inode_dirty_sync() on its final reference if i_state has I_DIRTY_TIME flag and i_nlink is non-zero. This issue appears after commit 28a65b49eb53 ("nilfs2: do not write dirty data after degenerating to read-only") when using the syzbot reproducer, but the issue has potentially existed before. Fix this issue by adding a "purging flag" to the nilfs structure, setting that flag while disposing the "garbage_list" and checking it in __nilfs_mark_inode_dirty(). Unlike commit 9b5a04ac3ad9 ("nilfs2: fix use-after-free bug of nilfs_root in nilfs_evict_inode()"), this patch does not rely on ns_writer to determine whether to skip operations, so as not to break recovery on mount. The nilfs_salvage_orphan_logs routine dirties the buffer of salvaged data before attaching the log writer, so changing __nilfs_mark_inode_dirty() to skip the operation when ns_writer is NULL will cause recovery write to fail. The purpose of using the cleanup-only flag is to allow for narrowing of such conditions.

Affected

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

4.0 ≤ v < 4.14.3234.0 ≤ v < 4.19.2924.0 ≤ v < 5.10.1914.0 ≤ v < 5.15.1274.0 ≤ v < 5.4.2544.0 ≤ v < 6.1.464.0 ≤ v < 6.4.114.0 ≤ v < 6.54.15 ≤ v < 4.19.2924.20 ≤ v < 5.4.2545.11 ≤ v < 5.15.1275.16 ≤ v < 6.1.465.5 ≤ v < 5.10.1916.2 ≤ v < 6.4.110ae45f63d4ef8d8eeec49c7d8b44a1775fff13e84.06.5 rc16.5 rc26.5 rc36.5 rc46.5 rc5
Vendor states this is fixed in 11afd67f1b3c28eb216e50a3ca8dbcb69bb71793 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 3645510cf926e6af2f4d44899370d7e5331c93bd (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 37207240872456fbab44a110bde6640445233963 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5828d5f5dc877dcfdd7b23102e978e2ecfd86d82 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7532ff6edbf5242376b24a95a2fefb59bb653e5a (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in a3c3b4cbf9b8554120fb230e6516e980c6277487 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in d2c539c216cce74837a9cf5804eb205939b82227 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in f8654743a0e6909dc634cbfad6db6816f10f3399 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.0 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.14.323 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.19.292 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.191 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.127 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.4.254 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.46 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.4.11 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.5 (unaffected)

References (8)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/11afd67f1b3c28eb216e50a3ca8dbcb69bb71793
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3645510cf926e6af2f4d44899370d7e5331c93bd
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/37207240872456fbab44a110bde6640445233963
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5828d5f5dc877dcfdd7b23102e978e2ecfd86d82
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7532ff6edbf5242376b24a95a2fefb59bb653e5a
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a3c3b4cbf9b8554120fb230e6516e980c6277487
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2c539c216cce74837a9cf5804eb205939b82227
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f8654743a0e6909dc634cbfad6db6816f10f3399

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitNot automatableTotal impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

7.8HIGHLinux
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-416

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