CVE-2023-2985

Local system crash via misordered HFS+ teardown

Published Jun 1, 2023 · Updated Mar 11, 2025

Use after free in the Linux Kernel before 6.3-rc1 allows local users to crash the system during HFS+ filesystem teardown. In hfsplus_put_super, B-trees are closed before iput releases the allocation-file and hidden-directory inodes, so hfsplus_release_folio dereferences freed state. Low-privileged local access is required to exercise HFS+ teardown; the documented consequence is a kernel crash and service interruption, not data disclosure or modification.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use after free in the Linux Kernel before 6.3-rc1 allows local users to crash the system during HFS+ filesystem teardown. In hfsplus_put_super, B-trees are closed before iput releases the allocation-file and hidden-directory inodes, so hfsplus_release_folio dereferences freed state. Low-privileged local access is required to exercise HFS+ teardown; the documented consequence is a kernel crash and service interruption, not data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-2985
Published
Jun 1, 2023
Updated
Mar 11, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-416, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 1, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 11, 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=Kernel version prior to l 6.3-rc1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=Kernel version prior to l 6.3-rc1

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/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

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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