GHSA-53RX-6X56-6G2F

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-09-16 18:31 – Updated: 2025-12-02 00:31
VLAI
Details

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

nilfs2: fix use-after-free of nilfs_root in dirtying inodes via iput

During unmount process of nilfs2, nothing holds nilfs_root structure after nilfs2 detaches its writer in nilfs_detach_log_writer(). Previously, nilfs_evict_inode() could cause use-after-free read for nilfs_root if inodes are left in "garbage_list" and released by nilfs_dispose_list at the end of nilfs_detach_log_writer(), and this bug was fixed by commit 9b5a04ac3ad9 ("nilfs2: fix use-after-free bug of nilfs_root in nilfs_evict_inode()").

However, it turned out that there is another possibility of UAF in the call path where mark_inode_dirty_sync() is called from iput():

nilfs_detach_log_writer() nilfs_dispose_list() iput() mark_inode_dirty_sync() __mark_inode_dirty() nilfs_dirty_inode() __nilfs_mark_inode_dirty() nilfs_load_inode_block() --> causes UAF of nilfs_root struct

This can happen after commit 0ae45f63d4ef ("vfs: add support for a lazytime mount option"), which changed iput() to call mark_inode_dirty_sync() on its final reference if i_state has I_DIRTY_TIME flag and i_nlink is non-zero.

This issue appears after commit 28a65b49eb53 ("nilfs2: do not write dirty data after degenerating to read-only") when using the syzbot reproducer, but the issue has potentially existed before.

Fix this issue by adding a "purging flag" to the nilfs structure, setting that flag while disposing the "garbage_list" and checking it in __nilfs_mark_inode_dirty().

Unlike commit 9b5a04ac3ad9 ("nilfs2: fix use-after-free bug of nilfs_root in nilfs_evict_inode()"), this patch does not rely on ns_writer to determine whether to skip operations, so as not to break recovery on mount. The nilfs_salvage_orphan_logs routine dirties the buffer of salvaged data before attaching the log writer, so changing __nilfs_mark_inode_dirty() to skip the operation when ns_writer is NULL will cause recovery write to fail. The purpose of using the cleanup-only flag is to allow for narrowing of such conditions.

Severity
7.8 (High)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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{
  "affected": [],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2023-53311"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-416"
    ],
    "github_reviewed": false,
    "github_reviewed_at": null,
    "nvd_published_at": "2025-09-16T17:15:36Z",
    "severity": "HIGH"
  },
  "details": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnilfs2: fix use-after-free of nilfs_root in dirtying inodes via iput\n\nDuring unmount process of nilfs2, nothing holds nilfs_root structure after\nnilfs2 detaches its writer in nilfs_detach_log_writer().  Previously,\nnilfs_evict_inode() could cause use-after-free read for nilfs_root if\ninodes are left in \"garbage_list\" and released by nilfs_dispose_list at\nthe end of nilfs_detach_log_writer(), and this bug was fixed by commit\n9b5a04ac3ad9 (\"nilfs2: fix use-after-free bug of nilfs_root in\nnilfs_evict_inode()\").\n\nHowever, it turned out that there is another possibility of UAF in the\ncall path where mark_inode_dirty_sync() is called from iput():\n\nnilfs_detach_log_writer()\n  nilfs_dispose_list()\n    iput()\n      mark_inode_dirty_sync()\n        __mark_inode_dirty()\n          nilfs_dirty_inode()\n            __nilfs_mark_inode_dirty()\n              nilfs_load_inode_block() --\u003e causes UAF of nilfs_root struct\n\nThis can happen after commit 0ae45f63d4ef (\"vfs: add support for a\nlazytime mount option\"), which changed iput() to call\nmark_inode_dirty_sync() on its final reference if i_state has I_DIRTY_TIME\nflag and i_nlink is non-zero.\n\nThis issue appears after commit 28a65b49eb53 (\"nilfs2: do not write dirty\ndata after degenerating to read-only\") when using the syzbot reproducer,\nbut the issue has potentially existed before.\n\nFix this issue by adding a \"purging flag\" to the nilfs structure, setting\nthat flag while disposing the \"garbage_list\" and checking it in\n__nilfs_mark_inode_dirty().\n\nUnlike commit 9b5a04ac3ad9 (\"nilfs2: fix use-after-free bug of nilfs_root\nin nilfs_evict_inode()\"), this patch does not rely on ns_writer to\ndetermine whether to skip operations, so as not to break recovery on\nmount.  The nilfs_salvage_orphan_logs routine dirties the buffer of\nsalvaged data before attaching the log writer, so changing\n__nilfs_mark_inode_dirty() to skip the operation when ns_writer is NULL\nwill cause recovery write to fail.  The purpose of using the cleanup-only\nflag is to allow for narrowing of such conditions.",
  "id": "GHSA-53rx-6x56-6g2f",
  "modified": "2025-12-02T00:31:12Z",
  "published": "2025-09-16T18:31:26Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53311"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/11afd67f1b3c28eb216e50a3ca8dbcb69bb71793"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3645510cf926e6af2f4d44899370d7e5331c93bd"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/37207240872456fbab44a110bde6640445233963"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5828d5f5dc877dcfdd7b23102e978e2ecfd86d82"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7532ff6edbf5242376b24a95a2fefb59bb653e5a"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a3c3b4cbf9b8554120fb230e6516e980c6277487"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2c539c216cce74837a9cf5804eb205939b82227"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f8654743a0e6909dc634cbfad6db6816f10f3399"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    }
  ]
}



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