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Vulnerability DatabaseCVE-2023-53538
CVE-2023-53538:
Linux Kernel vulnerability analysis and mitigation
Overview
CVE-2023-53538 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel's btrfs filesystem component that involves a race condition in tree mod log rewind functionality. The vulnerability was discovered in October 2025 and affects the btrfs filesystem module (NVD).
Technical details
The vulnerability manifests as a race condition in the tree mod log rewind process that can result in a kernel panic. The issue occurs when logical inode resolution takes a tree mod log sequence number, and during backref walking hits a rewind on a busy node. This leads to a sequence of tree mod log operations that can trigger a NULL pointer dereference at address 0x0000000000000002 (NVD).
Impact
When exploited, this vulnerability results in a kernel panic, causing system instability. The specific error trace shows BTRFS critical errors with messages indicating inability to find logical addresses, followed by a kernel NULL pointer dereference (NVD).
Additional resources
Source: This report was generated using AI
Related Linux Kernel vulnerabilities:
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