CVE-2023-53149

System hang via recursive ext4 writeback deadlock

Published Sep 15, 2025 · Updated Sep 15, 2025

Improper locking in Linux kernel ext4 allows local users to hang the system through concurrent page writeback and inode journal changes. The ext4 writeback path allocates io_end memory with GFP_KERNEL while holding s_writepages_rwsem, allowing filesystem reclaim to reenter ext4_writepages after a writer blocks new readers. Local access, an ext4 filesystem, concurrent journal-flag changes, and reclaim during page writeback are required; the resulting circular wait hangs filesystem activity indefinitely.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.12%
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 Linux kernel ext4 allows local users to hang the system through concurrent page writeback and inode journal changes. The ext4 writeback path allocates io_end memory with GFP_KERNEL while holding s_writepages_rwsem, allowing filesystem reclaim to reenter ext4_writepages after a writer blocks new readers. Local access, an ext4 filesystem, concurrent journal-flag changes, and reclaim during page writeback are required; the resulting circular wait hangs filesystem activity indefinitely.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53149
Published
Sep 15, 2025
Updated
Sep 15, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-667, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 15, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 15, 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=4.7
  2. Affected versionversion=c8585c6fcaf2011de54c3592e80a634a2b9e1a7f <00d873c17e29cc32d90ca852b82685f1673acaa5
  3. Affected versionversion=c8585c6fcaf2011de54c3592e80a634a2b9e1a7f <2ec97dc90df40c50e509809dc9a198638a7e18b6
  4. Affected versionversion=c8585c6fcaf2011de54c3592e80a634a2b9e1a7f <4b4340bf04ce9a52061f15000ecedd126abc093c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.7; version=c8585c6fcaf2011de54c3592e80a634a2b9e1a7f <00d873c17e29cc32d90ca852b82685f1673acaa5; version=c8585c6fcaf2011de54c3592e80a634a2b9e1a7f <2ec97dc90df40c50e509809dc9a198638a7e18b6; version=c8585c6fcaf2011de54c3592e80a634a2b9e1a7f <4b4340bf04ce9a52061f15000ecedd126abc093c

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS: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-667Improper Locking
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

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Your stack

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