CVE-2023-54023

Kernel panic via uncleared balance state

Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025

Race condition in the Linux btrfs balance ioctl allows local users with filesystem administration rights to trigger a kernel panic. The balance completion path leaves balance_ctl and exclusive-operation state uncleared when success races with a pause or cancel request, causing a later balance to violate an assertion. Reachability requires a mounted btrfs filesystem and concurrent balance-control operations; successful triggering crashes the kernel and interrupts the host.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Race condition in the Linux btrfs balance ioctl allows local users with filesystem administration rights to trigger a kernel panic. The balance completion path leaves balance_ctl and exclusive-operation state uncleared when success races with a pause or cancel request, causing a later balance to violate an assertion. Reachability requires a mounted btrfs filesystem and concurrent balance-control operations; successful triggering crashes the kernel and interrupts the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54023
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Updated
Dec 24, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 24, 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 <72efe5d44821e38540888a5fe3ff3d0faab6acad
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b19c98f237cd76981aaded52c258ce93f7daa8cb
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ddf7e8984c83aee9122552529f4e77291903f8d9

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <72efe5d44821e38540888a5fe3ff3d0faab6acad; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b19c98f237cd76981aaded52c258ce93f7daa8cb; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ddf7e8984c83aee9122552529f4e77291903f8d9

Published CVSS scores

No CVSS assessment is available in this record.

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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

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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