CVE-2023-53149 Details
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: avoid deadlock in fs reclaim with page writeback Ext4 has a filesystem wide lock protecting ext4_writepages() calls to avoid races with switching of journalled data flag or inode format. This lock can however cause a deadlock like: CPU0 CPU1 ext4_writepages() percpu_down_read(sbi->s_writepages_rwsem); ext4_change_inode_journal_flag() percpu_down_write(sbi->s_writepages_rwsem); - blocks, all readers block from now on ext4_do_writepages() ext4_init_io_end() kmem_cache_zalloc(io_end_cachep, GFP_KERNEL) fs_reclaim frees dentry... dentry_unlink_inode() iput() - last ref => iput_final() - inode dirty => write_inode_now()... ext4_writepages() tries to acquire sbi->s_writepages_rwsem and blocks forever Make sure we cannot recurse into filesystem reclaim from writeback code to avoid the deadlock.
A deadlock vulnerability has been identified in the Ext4 filesystem of the Linux kernel. This issue arises from a filesystem-wide lock that protects the 'ext4_writepages()' function. The lock is intended to prevent races when switching the journaled data flag or inode format. However, it can lead to a deadlock scenario where one process blocks another, causing all readers to become stuck indefinitely. The deadlock occurs when 'ext4_writepages()' tries to acquire the write lock, which is already held by a process changing the inode journal flag, after a series of operations have left the inode dirty and ready to be written back. This vulnerability affects several versions of the Linux kernel.
Users can upgrade to the latest stable version of the Linux kernel, where this vulnerability has been addressed.
Metrics
CVSS 4.0 Severity and Vector Strings:
No CVSS 4.0 data is available for this CVE.
CVSS 3.x Severity and Vector Strings:
No data available for CVSS Version 2.0 on this CVE.
No SSVC data is available for this CVE.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
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| URL | Source(s) | Tag(s) |
|---|---|---|
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/00d873c17e29cc32d90ca852b82685f1673acaa5 | kernel.org | Patch |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2ec97dc90df40c50e509809dc9a198638a7e18b6 | kernel.org | Patch |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4b4340bf04ce9a52061f15000ecedd126abc093c | kernel.org | Patch |
Weakness Enumeration
| CWE-ID | CWE Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CWE-667 | Improper Locking | [email protected] |
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| linux linux kernel | >= 4.7, < 6.2.16 >= 6.3, < 6.3.3 6.4 rc1 |
CPE
Remediation
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Change History
3 change records found show changes
| Date | Action | Recorded By |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2026 | CVE Modified | kernel.org |
| Nov 25, 2025 | Initial Analysis | [email protected] |
| Sep 15, 2025 | New CVE Received | kernel.org |