CVE-2023-53101: linux kernel — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: zero i_disksize when initializing the bootloader inode If the boot loader inode has never been used before, the EXT4_IOC_SWAP_BOOT inode will initialize it, including setting the i_size to 0. However, if the "never before used" boot loader has a non-zero i_size, then i_disksize will be non-zero, and the inconsistency between i_size and i_disksize can trigger a kernel warning: WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 2580 at fs/ext4/file.c:319 CPU: 0 PID: 2580 Comm: bb Not tainted 6.3.0-rc1-00004-g703695902cfa RIP: 0010:ext4_file_write_iter+0xbc7/0xd10 Call Trace: vfs_write+0x3b1/0x5c0 ksys_write+0x77/0x160 __x64_sys_write+0x22/0x30 do_syscall_64+0x39/0x80 Reproducer: 1. create corrupted image and mount it: mke2fs -t ext4 /tmp/foo.img 200 debugfs -wR "sif <5> size 25700" /tmp/foo.img mount -t ext4 /tmp/foo.img /mnt cd /mnt echo 123 > file 2. Run the reproducer program: posix_memalign(&buf, 1024, 1024) fd = open("file", O_RDWR | O_DIRECT); ioctl(fd, EXT4_IOC_SWAP_BOOT); write(fd, buf, 1024); Fix this by setting i_disksize as well as i_size to zero when initiaizing the boot loader inode.

Is your site exposed to CVE-2023-53101?

Run a free security scan — no signup, results in seconds.

CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	< 4.14.310
linux	linux_kernel	4.15 — 4.19.278
linux	linux_kernel	4.20 — 5.4.237
linux	linux_kernel	5.5 — 5.10.175
linux	linux_kernel	5.11 — 5.15.103
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 6.1.20
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.2.7
linux	linux_kernel	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/01a821aacc64d4b05dafd239dbc9b7856686002f https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0d8a6c9a6415999fee1259ccf1796480c026b7d6 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f00c476da8fe7c4c34ea16abb55d74127120413 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/59eee0cdf8c036f554add97a4da7c06d7a9ff34a https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9cb27b1e76f0cc886ac09055bc41c0ab3f205167 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e9a4cc5486356158554f6ad73027d8635a48b34 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d6c1447e483c05dbcfb3ff77ac04237a82070b8c https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f5361da1e60d54ec81346aee8e3d8baf1be0b762

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-53101? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: zero i_disksize when initializing the bootloader inode If the boot loader inode has never been used before, the EXT4_IOC_SWAP_BOOT inode will initialize it, including setting the i_size to 0. However, if the "never before used" boot loader has a non-zero i_size, then i_disksize will be non-zero, and the inconsistency between i_size and i_disksize can trigger a kernel warning: WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 2580 at fs/ext4/file.c:319 CPU: 0 PID: 2580 Comm: bb Not tainted 6.3.0-rc1-00004-g703695902cfa RIP: 0010:ext4_file_write_iter+0xbc7/0xd10 Call Trace: vfs_write+0x3b1/0x5c0 ksys_write+0x77/0x160 __x64_sys_write+0x22/0x30 do_syscall_64+0x39/0x80 Reproducer: 1. create corrupted image and mount it: mke2fs -t ext4 /tmp/foo.img 200 debugfs -wR "sif <5> size 25700" /tmp/foo.img mount -t ext4 /tmp/foo.img /mnt cd /mnt echo 123 > file 2. Run the reproducer program: posix_memalign(&buf, 1024, 1024) fd = open("file", O_RDWR | O_DIRECT); ioctl(fd, EXT4_IOC_SWAP_BOOT); write(fd, buf, 1024); Fix this by setting i_disksize as well as i_size to zero when initiaizing the boot loader inode. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2023-53101? +

CVE-2023-53101 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-53101? +

CVE-2023-53101 affects products from linux, specifically: linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2023-53101? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

Related Vulnerabilities

CVE-2025-9588 10.0

Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') vulnerability in Iron Mountain Archiving Services Inc. …

CVE-2025-57870 10.0

A SQL Injection vulnerability exists in Esri ArcGIS Server versions 11.3, 11.4 and 11.5 on Windows, Linux and Kubernetes. This …

CVE-2026-48286 10.0

Adobe Campaign Classic (ACC) versions 7.4.3 build 9396 and earlier are affected by an Incorrect Authorization vulnerability that could result …

CVE-2026-13782 10.0

Use after free in Browser in Google Chrome prior to 150.0.7871.47 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer …

CVE-2026-48303 10.0

Adobe Campaign Classic (ACC) versions 7.4.3 build 9394 and earlier are affected by an Incorrect Authorization vulnerability that could result …

CVE-2025-34028 10.0

The Commvault Command Center Innovation Release allows an unauthenticated actor to upload ZIP files that represent install packages that, when …

CVE-2023-53101