CVE-2023-53796
Published Dec 9, 2025
Modified Apr 15, 2026
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: f2fs: fix information leak in f2fs_move_inline_dirents() When converting an inline directory to a regular one, f2fs is leaking uninitialized memory to disk because it doesn't initialize the entire directory block. Fix this by zero-initializing the block. This bug was introduced by commit 4ec17d688d74 ("f2fs: avoid unneeded initializing when converting inline dentry"), which didn't consider the security implications of leaking uninitialized memory to disk. This was found by running xfstest generic/435 on a KMSAN-enabled kernel.
Is your site exposed to CVE-2023-53796?
Run a free security scan — no signup, results in seconds.
References
Other References
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/00b5587326625d0fddb2a5f5a3d4acd950102ace
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/117d4f6687b1f74423b5d398ea95c63b262a8e73
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2bef8314fcf94ddc27e22d03f237c0fafd00de33
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4e3b4b170bd43db1d8a93a6bd0ea434b17cc86f7
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9a5571cff4ffcfc24847df9fd545cc5799ac0ee5
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a6807ef0f3b3d8508d3b07a2e35de8a91820a014
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eebaecef0095bb8f493c03982da75c6e7bae1056
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f07a8d61b6ea81bb3cbe0638af40f8824d6147fd
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2023-53796? +
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
f2fs: fix information leak in f2fs_move_inline_dirents()
When converting an inline directory to a regular one, f2fs is leaking
uninitialized memory to disk because it doesn't initialize the entire
directory block. Fix this by zero-initializing the block.
This bug was introduced by commit 4ec17d688d74 ("f2fs: avoid unneeded
initializing when converting inline dentry"), which didn't consider the
security implications of leaking uninitialized memory to disk.
This was found by running xfstest generic/435 on a KMSAN-enabled kernel.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2023-53796? +
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.