CVE-2023-53091

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: update s_journal_inum if it changes after journal replay When mounting a crafted ext4 image, s_journal_inum may change after journal replay, which is obviously unreasonable because we have successfully loaded and replayed the journal through the old s_journal_inum. And the new s_journal_inum bypasses some of the checks in ext4_get_journal(), which may trigger a null pointer dereference problem. So if s_journal_inum changes after the journal replay, we ignore the change, and rewrite the current journal_inum to the superblock.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-05-02
Last modified 2025-11-12
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-476

CVE-2023-53091 is a NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability

What is NULL Pointer Dereference?

The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 3.16.85, 4.4.221, 4.9.221, 4.14.178, 4.19.73, 5.2 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.15.104, 6.1.21, 6.2.8, 6.3 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 3.16.85 ≥ 4.4.221 ≥ 4.9.221 ≥ 4.14.178 ≥ 4.19.73 ≥ 5.2
Fixed in
✓ 5.15.104 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.21 6.1.x ✓ 6.2.8 6.2.x ✓ 6.3

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2023-53091 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

4 patch commits total View all on NVD

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2023-53091?

    CVE-2023-53091 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a NULL Pointer Dereference flaw (CWE-476) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.16.85 onward and has been patched in 5.15.104, 6.1.21, 6.2.8 and others. CVE-2023-53091 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2023-53091?

    CVE-2023-53091 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2023-53091?

    Yes — CVE-2023-53091 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.15.104, 6.1.21, 6.2.8 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.16.85 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2023-53091 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2023-53091 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476)?

    The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. View CWE-476 on MITRE CWE →

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