CVE-2023-53440

Kernel crash via nilfs2 sysfs lifetime race

Published Sep 18, 2025 · Updated Sep 18, 2025

A nilfs2 sysfs lifetime flaw in affected Linux releases from 3.17 through 6.2.10 allows local users to crash the kernel via concurrent sysfs access. The nilfs_sysfs_create_device_group and nilfs_sysfs_delete_device_group paths expose cpfile, sufile, or dat attributes before their inodes load and after the inodes are released, enabling NULL dereferences and use-after-free. Exploitation requires a local nilfs2 mount or teardown race with concurrent reads of its sysfs attributes; the documented bounded effect is a kernel oops or panic.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A nilfs2 sysfs lifetime flaw in affected Linux releases from 3.17 through 6.2.10 allows local users to crash the kernel via concurrent sysfs access. The nilfs_sysfs_create_device_group and nilfs_sysfs_delete_device_group paths expose cpfile, sufile, or dat attributes before their inodes load and after the inodes are released, enabling NULL dereferences and use-after-free. Exploitation requires a local nilfs2 mount or teardown race with concurrent reads of its sysfs attributes; the documented bounded effect is a kernel oops or panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53440
Published
Sep 18, 2025
Updated
Sep 18, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 18, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 18, 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=3.17
  2. Affected versionversion=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <1942ccb7d95f287a312fcbabfa8bc9ba501b1953
  3. Affected versionversion=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <3dbee84bf9e3273c4bb9ca6fc18ff22fba23dd24
  4. Affected versionversion=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <42560f9c92cc43dce75dbf06cc0d840dced39b12
  5. Affected versionversion=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <5fe0ea141fbb887d407f1bf572ebf24427480d5c
  6. Affected versionversion=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <83b16a60e413148685739635901937e2f16a7873
  7. Affected versionversion=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <d20dcec8f326deb77b6688f8441e014045dac457
  8. Affected versionversion=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <d540aea451ab5489777a8156560f1388449b3109
  9. Affected versionversion=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <daf4eb3a908b108279b60172d2f176e70d2df875

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.17; version=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <1942ccb7d95f287a312fcbabfa8bc9ba501b1953; version=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <3dbee84bf9e3273c4bb9ca6fc18ff22fba23dd24; version=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <42560f9c92cc43dce75dbf06cc0d840dced39b12; version=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <5fe0ea141fbb887d407f1bf572ebf24427480d5c; version=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <83b16a60e413148685739635901937e2f16a7873; version=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <d20dcec8f326deb77b6688f8441e014045dac457; version=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <d540aea451ab5489777a8156560f1388449b3109; version=dd70edbde2627f47df118d899de6bbb55abcfdbf <daf4eb3a908b108279b60172d2f176e70d2df875

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.8Linux kernel CVE teamCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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