CVE-2023-54153

Kernel memory leak via failed quota cleanup

Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025

Resource leakage in the ext4 mount error path in Linux allows local users to consume kernel memory by triggering a failed filesystem mount. When ext4_mark_recovery_complete() returns an error after quotas are enabled, the failure path omits ext4_quota_off_umount() and leaves allocated quota objects unreleased. Filesystem-mount authority and an ext4 recovery-completion error are required; repeated failures consume kernel memory rather than directly reading or modifying data.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
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

Resource leakage in the ext4 mount error path in Linux allows local users to consume kernel memory by triggering a failed filesystem mount. When ext4_mark_recovery_complete() returns an error after quotas are enabled, the failure path omits ext4_quota_off_umount() and leaves allocated quota objects unreleased. Filesystem-mount authority and an ext4 recovery-completion error are required; repeated failures consume kernel memory rather than directly reading or modifying data.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54153
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Updated
Dec 24, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

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=11215630aada28307ba555a43138db6ac54fa825 <77c3ca1108eb4a26db4f256c42b271a430cebc7d
  2. Affected versionversion=11215630aada28307ba555a43138db6ac54fa825 <c327b83c59ee938792a0300df646efac39c7d6a7
  3. Affected versionversion=11215630aada28307ba555a43138db6ac54fa825 <d13f99632748462c32fc95d729f5e754bab06064
  4. Affected versionversion=11215630aada28307ba555a43138db6ac54fa825 <deef86fa3005cbb61ae8aa5729324c09b3f4ba73
  5. Affected versionversion=2e7312ddaf629eecf4702b662da477a3bc39c31a
  6. Affected versionversion=5.9
  7. Affected versionversion=60e2824ab30a19c7aaf5a3932bc155d18b2cd816
  8. Affected versionversion=a6d49257cbe53c7bca1a0353a6443f53cbed9cc7
  9. Affected versionversion=d558851e5ff443b020245b7a1a455c55accf740b

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=11215630aada28307ba555a43138db6ac54fa825 <77c3ca1108eb4a26db4f256c42b271a430cebc7d; version=11215630aada28307ba555a43138db6ac54fa825 <c327b83c59ee938792a0300df646efac39c7d6a7; version=11215630aada28307ba555a43138db6ac54fa825 <d13f99632748462c32fc95d729f5e754bab06064; version=11215630aada28307ba555a43138db6ac54fa825 <deef86fa3005cbb61ae8aa5729324c09b3f4ba73; version=2e7312ddaf629eecf4702b662da477a3bc39c31a; version=5.9; version=60e2824ab30a19c7aaf5a3932bc155d18b2cd816; version=a6d49257cbe53c7bca1a0353a6443f53cbed9cc7; version=d558851e5ff443b020245b7a1a455c55accf740b

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.

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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
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.001OS Exhaustion Flood

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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