AUGUST 4, 2026
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Case File

CVE-2023-53503

MEDIUM · CVSS 5.5 EPSS 0.14%

Source: NVD + CISA KEV + EPSS (historical backfill) · Published 2025-10-01 · Last synced 2026-08-04

CyberRota Analysis

This is a medium severity vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5. It affects Linux. It may lead to a denial-of-service condition.

CVE
CVE-2023-53503
Severity
MEDIUM
CVSS
5.5
EPSS
0.14%
Linux

Original NVD Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: allow ext4_get_group_info() to fail Previously, ext4_get_group_info() would treat an invalid group number as BUG(), since in theory it should never happen. However, if a malicious attaker (or fuzzer) modifies the superblock via the block device while it is the file system is mounted, it is possible for s_first_data_block to get set to a very large number. In that case, when calculating the block group of some block number (such as the starting block of a preallocation region), could result in an underflow and very large block group number. Then the BUG_ON check in ext4_get_group_info() would fire, resutling in a denial of service attack that can be triggered by root or someone with write access to the block device. For a quality of implementation perspective, it's best that even if the system administrator does something that they shouldn't, that it will not trigger a BUG. So instead of BUG'ing, ext4_get_group_info() will call ext4_error and return NULL. We also add fallback code in all of the callers of ext4_get_group_info() that it might NULL. Also, since ext4_get_group_info() was already borderline to be an inline function, un-inline it. The results in a next reduction of the compiled text size of ext4 by roughly 2k.

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