CVE-2023-53457Public exploit

Kernel crash via read-only JFS transaction

Published Oct 1, 2025 · Updated Oct 1, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in Linux JFS allows local users to crash the kernel by starting a transaction on a read-only mount. The txBegin path in fs/jfs/namei.c starts a transaction for a read-only-mounted superblock, leaving its journal log pointer NULL before txBeginAnon reads log->flag. Reachability requires local access to exercise JFS on a read-only mount; successful triggering causes an availability-only kernel crash.

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

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in Linux JFS allows local users to crash the kernel by starting a transaction on a read-only mount. The txBegin path in fs/jfs/namei.c starts a transaction for a read-only-mounted superblock, leaving its journal log pointer NULL before txBeginAnon reads log->flag. Reachability requires local access to exercise JFS on a read-only mount; successful triggering causes an availability-only kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-53457
Published
Oct 1, 2025
Updated
Oct 1, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 1, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 1, 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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1b4c144767736221cad92c132f72b3c6ed06a0ea
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2a3f20efe6c901d4c0871cfd1d8c65e2ade71fc1
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <3e5eb6c5ecd8ddb9cfea751cf30f9e23eac97ca3
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <3e94d0d378d2754b26fc54b429582553f7b53e15
  5. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <47cfdc338d674d38f4b2f22b7612cc6a2763ba27
  6. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <a7225e9e09519deb7e0c42eb6070029cc456e84d
  7. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <a7d17d6bd7cd4f6940b335ea7a6fce5b6d22adc2
  8. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <fd2db13fb72ff18c633a48229589d42ceb89d1f8

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1b4c144767736221cad92c132f72b3c6ed06a0ea; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2a3f20efe6c901d4c0871cfd1d8c65e2ade71fc1; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <3e5eb6c5ecd8ddb9cfea751cf30f9e23eac97ca3; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <3e94d0d378d2754b26fc54b429582553f7b53e15; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <47cfdc338d674d38f4b2f22b7612cc6a2763ba27; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <a7225e9e09519deb7e0c42eb6070029cc456e84d; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <a7d17d6bd7cd4f6940b335ea7a6fce5b6d22adc2; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <fd2db13fb72ff18c633a48229589d42ceb89d1f8

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

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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