CVE-2023-4394

Kernel memory leak via failed Btrfs device lookup

Published Aug 17, 2023 · Updated Feb 27, 2025

Memory leak in Linux kernel Btrfs before 6.0-rc3 allows local users with special privileges to exhaust kernel memory via an invalid path. In btrfs_get_dev_args_from_path(), a btrfs_get_bdev_and_sb() failure returns without releasing the allocated args->uuid and args->fsid buffers. The path requires special local privileges, and repeated failures consume kernel memory; the linked patch establishes no direct disclosure or use-after-free operation.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Memory leak in Linux kernel Btrfs before 6.0-rc3 allows local users with special privileges to exhaust kernel memory via an invalid path. In btrfs_get_dev_args_from_path(), a btrfs_get_bdev_and_sb() failure returns without releasing the allocated args->uuid and args->fsid buffers. The path requires special local privileges, and repeated failures consume kernel memory; the linked patch establishes no direct disclosure or use-after-free operation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-4394
Published
Aug 17, 2023
Updated
Feb 27, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-400, CWE-416, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 17, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 27, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

6.7Red Hat, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.0NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
CWE-416Use After Free
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo