vulnerability

Ubuntu: (CVE-2023-53503): linux vulnerability

Severity
5
CVSS
(AV:L/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:C)
Published
Oct 1, 2025
Added
Oct 10, 2025
Modified
Oct 24, 2025

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.

Solutions

ubuntu-upgrade-linuxubuntu-upgrade-linux-awsubuntu-upgrade-linux-aws-5-15ubuntu-upgrade-linux-azureubuntu-upgrade-linux-azure-5-15ubuntu-upgrade-linux-bluefieldubuntu-upgrade-linux-gcpubuntu-upgrade-linux-gcp-5-15ubuntu-upgrade-linux-gkeubuntu-upgrade-linux-gkeopubuntu-upgrade-linux-hwe-5-15ubuntu-upgrade-linux-ibmubuntu-upgrade-linux-ibm-5-15ubuntu-upgrade-linux-intel-iot-realtimeubuntu-upgrade-linux-intel-iotgubuntu-upgrade-linux-intel-iotg-5-15ubuntu-upgrade-linux-kvmubuntu-upgrade-linux-lowlatencyubuntu-upgrade-linux-lowlatency-hwe-5-15ubuntu-upgrade-linux-nvidiaubuntu-upgrade-linux-nvidia-tegraubuntu-upgrade-linux-nvidia-tegra-5-15ubuntu-upgrade-linux-nvidia-tegra-igxubuntu-upgrade-linux-oracleubuntu-upgrade-linux-oracle-5-15ubuntu-upgrade-linux-raspiubuntu-upgrade-linux-realtimeubuntu-upgrade-linux-riscv-5-15ubuntu-upgrade-linux-xilinx-zynqmp
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