CVE-2023-52909: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: fix handling of cached open files in nfsd4_open codepath Commit fb70bf124b...

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: fix handling of cached open files in nfsd4_open codepath Commit fb70bf124b05 ("NFSD: Instantiate a struct file when creating a regular NFSv4 file") added the ability to cache an open fd over a compound. There are a couple of problems with the way this currently works: It's racy, as a newly-created nfsd_file can end up with its PENDING bit cleared while the nf is hashed, and the nf_file pointer is still zeroed out. Other tasks can find it in this state and they expect to see a valid nf_file, and can oops if nf_file is NULL. Also, there is no guarantee that we'll end up creating a new nfsd_file if one is already in the hash. If an extant entry is in the hash with a valid nf_file, nfs4_get_vfs_file will clobber its nf_file pointer with the value of op_file and the old nf_file will leak. Fix both issues by making a new nfsd_file_acquirei_opened variant that takes an optional file pointer. If one is present when this is called, we'll take a new reference to it instead of trying to open the file. If the nfsd_file already has a valid nf_file, we'll just ignore the optional file and pass the nfsd_file back as-is. Also rework the tracepoints a bit to allow for an "opened" variant and don't try to avoid counting acquisitions in the case where we already have a cached open file.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

4.7/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.24%

14.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-476

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.19, < 6.1.7	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	6.2	Rc1

References

Timeline

Published: Aug 21, 2024
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-52909?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: fix handling of cached open files in nfsd4_open codepath Commit fb70bf124b05 ("NFSD: Instantiate a struct file when creating a regular NFSv4 file") added the ability to cache an open fd over a compound. There are a couple of problems with the way this currently works: It's racy, as a newly-created nfsd_file can end up with its PENDING bit cleared while the nf is hashed, and the nf_file pointer is still zeroed out. Other tasks can find it in this state and they expect to see a valid nf_file, and can oops if nf_file is NULL. Also, there is no guarantee that we'll end up creating a new nfsd_file if one is already in the hash. If an extant entry is in the hash with a valid nf_file, nfs4_get_vfs_file will clobber its nf_file pointer with the value of op_file and the old nf_file will leak. Fix both issues by making a new nfsd_file_acquirei_opened variant that takes an optional file pointer. If one is present when this is called, we'll take a new reference to it instead of trying to open the file. If the nfsd_file already has a valid nf_file, we'll just ignore the optional file and pass the nfsd_file back as-is. Also rework the tracepoints a bit to allow for an "opened" variant and don't try to avoid counting acquisitions in the case where we already have a cached open file.

How severe is CVE-2023-52909?

CVE-2023-52909 has a CVSS score of 4.7/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.24% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-52909?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.