CVE-2023-2612Public exploit

Kernel hang via unbalanced inode unlock

Published May 30, 2023 · Updated Feb 13, 2025

Improper locking in Canonical Ubuntu Linux shiftfs allows local users with high privileges to hang the kernel through object creation. In shiftfs_create_object, an unsupported lower-filesystem operation follows an error path that unlocks the lower-directory inode without first acquiring its lock. Triggering the race requires a shiftfs mount over an incompatible lower filesystem; successful triggering leaves the kernel deadlocked.

CVSS severity4.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.28%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper locking in Canonical Ubuntu Linux shiftfs allows local users with high privileges to hang the kernel through object creation. In shiftfs_create_object, an unsupported lower-filesystem operation follows an error path that unlocks the lower-directory inode without first acquiring its lock. Triggering the race requires a shiftfs mount over an incompatible lower filesystem; successful triggering leaves the kernel deadlocked.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-2612
Published
May 30, 2023
Updated
Feb 13, 2025
Vendor
Canonical
Product
Ubuntu
Classifications
CWE-667, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 30, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 13, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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  1. Affected versionversion=0 <02b47547824b1cd0d55c6744f91886f04de8947e

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Canonical · Ubuntuversion=0 <02b47547824b1cd0d55c6744f91886f04de8947e

Published CVSS scores

4.4Canonical Ltd.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.7NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-667Improper Locking
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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