CVE-2023-54185

Kernel BUG via free-space cache insertion failure

Published Dec 30, 2025 · Updated Dec 30, 2025

Improper error handling in Linux btrfs free-space caching allows local users to cause a kernel BUG when cache insertion fails. The add_new_free_space() function invokes BUG_ON when insertion into the in-memory free-space cache fails instead of returning the error through callers that already handle failures. The path requires a rare failure, usually memory exhaustion; the resulting BUG becomes an oops or a panic and host reboot according to kernel settings.

CVSS severity0.0
None
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Improper error handling in Linux btrfs free-space caching allows local users to cause a kernel BUG when cache insertion fails. The add_new_free_space() function invokes BUG_ON when insertion into the in-memory free-space cache fails instead of returning the error through callers that already handle failures. The path requires a rare failure, usually memory exhaustion; the resulting BUG becomes an oops or a panic and host reboot according to kernel settings.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54185
Published
Dec 30, 2025
Updated
Dec 30, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 30, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 30, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <23e72231f8281505883514b23709076e234d4f27
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <d8ccbd21918fd7fa6ce3226cffc22c444228e8ad
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <f775ceb0cb530e4a469b718fb2a24843071087f5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <23e72231f8281505883514b23709076e234d4f27; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <d8ccbd21918fd7fa6ce3226cffc22c444228e8ad; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <f775ceb0cb530e4a469b718fb2a24843071087f5

Published CVSS scores

0.0SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:N
0.0SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application 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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo