Kernel crash via ext4 extent-end overflow
Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025
Integer overflow in affected Linux kernel ext4 allocation code allows local users with write access to trigger a kernel crash. ext4_mb_new_inode_pa computes an extent end using ext4_lblk_t arithmetic, so adding a near-maximum logical block and goal length wraps the result to zero before a BUG_ON comparison. Reaching the crash requires write access to a mounted ext4 filesystem and a crafted sequence of sparse allocation, stress, deletion, and direct-write operations; the demonstrated consequence is service interruption through a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
Integer overflow in affected Linux kernel ext4 allocation code allows local users with write access to trigger a kernel crash. ext4_mb_new_inode_pa computes an extent end using ext4_lblk_t arithmetic, so adding a near-maximum logical block and goal length wraps the result to zero before a BUG_ON comparison. Reaching the crash requires write access to a mounted ext4 filesystem and a crafted sequence of sparse allocation, stress, deletion, and direct-write operations; the demonstrated consequence is service interruption through a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-54069
- Published
- Dec 24, 2025
- Updated
- Dec 24, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=25a60b4533268477920faaeebd99e7e69c0735cd
- Affected versionversion=46772ab99409cc72241227dd8f5295f358233fda
- Affected versionversion=613f6cde5ebb005a37fda117cdda7b4126170c13 <f2c3a3aa6f11ad9878dbc3a067b0633e07b586c1
- Affected versionversion=6.4
- Affected versionversion=8659c5f4ffaacbe932849b98462c3d635b4eacea <83ecffd40c65844a73c2e93d7c841455786605ac
- Affected versionversion=93cdf49f6eca5e23f6546b8f28457b2e6a6961d9 <b7e9ec38b6a0beb5a49cd1e76be0a9a07c218e90
- Affected versionversion=93cdf49f6eca5e23f6546b8f28457b2e6a6961d9 <bc056e7163ac7db945366de219745cf94f32a3e6
- Affected versionversion=9d4430b7f862ce8835ca4e054b6916d15c8e0862 <fcefddf3a151b2c416b20120c06bb1ba9ad676fb
- Affected versionversion=cec4ef62b36b04e0bc8905732adab091f4bc1cfd
- Affected versionversion=fc7237e191b99f88e859316fab2b06c2c26c8344 <58fe961c606c446f5612f6897827b1cac42c2e89
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Linux kernel ext4 overflow reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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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