CVE-2023-54311

Filesystem hang via locked-buffer dirtying

Published Dec 30, 2025 · Updated Dec 30, 2025

Denial of service in the Linux kernel ext4 subsystem allows local users to hang filesystem operations during inline-data conversion. In no-journal mode, ext4_finish_convert_inline_dir() and ext4_convert_inline_data_nolock() dirty buffers while retaining their locks, causing recursive lock acquisition. Reachability requires a locally mounted ext4 filesystem with inline data and no journal; triggering conversion can indefinitely block affected filesystem work.

CVSS severity6.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in the Linux kernel ext4 subsystem allows local users to hang filesystem operations during inline-data conversion. In no-journal mode, ext4_finish_convert_inline_dir() and ext4_convert_inline_data_nolock() dirty buffers while retaining their locks, causing recursive lock acquisition. Reachability requires a locally mounted ext4 filesystem with inline data and no journal; triggering conversion can indefinitely block affected filesystem work.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54311
Published
Dec 30, 2025
Updated
Dec 30, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
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

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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 <0b1c4357bb21d9770451a1bdb8d419ea10bada88
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <5f8b55136ad787aed2c184f7cb3e93772ae637a3
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <640c8c365999c6f23447ac766437236ad88317c5
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <665cc3ba50330049524c1d275bc840a8f28dde73
  5. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <804de0c72cd473e186ca4e1f6287d45431b14e5a
  6. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b4fa4768c9acff77245d672d855d2c88294850b1
  7. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <f4ce24f54d9cca4f09a395f3eecce20d6bec4663

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <0b1c4357bb21d9770451a1bdb8d419ea10bada88; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <5f8b55136ad787aed2c184f7cb3e93772ae637a3; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <640c8c365999c6f23447ac766437236ad88317c5; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <665cc3ba50330049524c1d275bc840a8f28dde73; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <804de0c72cd473e186ca4e1f6287d45431b14e5a; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b4fa4768c9acff77245d672d855d2c88294850b1; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <f4ce24f54d9cca4f09a395f3eecce20d6bec4663

Published CVSS scores

6.8SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
5.5SUSECVSS: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 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

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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