high CVSS 7.8

CVE-2023-52852·Kernel vulnerability

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: f2fs: compress: fix to avoid use-after-free on dic Call trace: __memcpy+0x128/0x250 f2fs_read_multi_pages+0x940/0xf7c f2fs_mpage_readpages+0x5a8/0x624 f2fs_readahead+0x5c/0x110 page_cache_ra_unbounded+0x1b8/0x590 do_sync_mmap_readahead+0x1dc/0x2e4 filemap_fault+0x254/0xa8c f2fs_filemap_fault+0x2c/0x104 __do_fault+0x7c/0x238 do_handle_mm_fault+0x11bc/0x2d14 do_mem_abort+0x3a8/0x1004 el0_da+0x3c/0xa0 el0t_64_sync_handler+0xc4/0xec el0t_64_sync+0x1b4/0x1b8 In f2fs_read_multi_pages(), once f2fs_decompress_cluster() was called if we hit cached page in compress_inode's cache, dic may be released, it needs break the loop rather than continuing it, in order to avoid accessing invalid dic pointer.

Severity
high
Software
Kernel
Fixed in
6.6.2
Published
2024-05-21

Affected versions

From: 6.6

Until: 6.6.2

Fixed in: 6.6.2

How to fix this CVE

Update your Linux kernel to version 6.6.2 or later to resolve a use-after-free vulnerability in the f2fs compression module. This flaw could allow local attackers with system access to trigger memory corruption during multi-page read operations on compressed filesystems. Apply the latest kernel patches immediately, especially if your systems use f2fs with compression enabled.

sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Step 1: Check your current kernel version with `uname -r` and compare against 6.6.2—if you see 6.6.0 through 6.6.1, you are vulnerable
  2. Step 2: Verify if f2fs compression is active on mounted filesystems by running `grep f2fs /proc/mounts | grep compress`
  3. Step 3: Search kernel logs for crash signatures using `dmesg | grep -i 'memcpy\|use-after-free\|f2fs_read_multi_pages'` or check `/var/log/kern.log` for similar patterns
  4. Step 4: After patching, reboot the system with `sudo reboot` and confirm the new kernel is running via `uname -r` showing version 6.6.2 or higher

FAQ

What is CVE-2023-52852?

CVE-2023-52852 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's f2fs (Flash-Friendly File System) compression module. When decompressing multi-page read operations, the code may continue accessing an already-freed dictionary pointer if a cached page is encountered, leading to kernel memory corruption.

Is CVE-2023-52852 being actively exploited?

No, CVE-2023-52852 is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog and no public exploits are currently available. However, the vulnerability remains critical due to its potential for denial-of-service or privilege escalation.

What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2023-52852?

Linux kernel versions 6.6.0, 6.6.1, and 6.6.2-rc versions are affected. The vulnerability was patched in kernel 6.6.2 stable release.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2023-52852?

Run `uname -r` to see your kernel version. If it shows 6.6.0 or 6.6.1, you are vulnerable. Additionally, check if f2fs with compression is in use via `grep f2fs /proc/mounts | grep compress`.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2023-52852?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If Kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2023-52852 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

Related Kernel CVEs

CVE-2026-100075CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/srpt: Fix srpt_alloc_rw_ctxs() unwind counters When srpt_alloc_rw_ctxs() fails partway through a multi-buffer indirect descriptor, the unwind path destroys RDMA contexts but leaves stale n_rw_ctx and n_rdma values (and a dangling rw_ctxs pointer). Later sq_wr_avail accounting in srpt_queue_response() or srpt_write_pending() can then subtract the wrong number of send queue credits. Reset the counters and clear rw_ctxs after freeing the heap allocation before returning an error.
CVE-2026-64439CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: crypto: krb5 - filter out async aead implementations at alloc krb5_aead_encrypt(), krb5_aead_decrypt() in rfc3961_simplified.c and rfc8009_encrypt(), rfc8009_decrypt() in rfc8009_aes2.c set a NULL completion callback and treat any negative return from crypto_aead_{encrypt,decrypt}() as terminal, falling through to kfree_sensitive(buffer). When the encrypt_name resolves to an async AEAD instance the request returns -EINPROGRESS, the buffer is freed while the backend's worker still holds a pointer, and the worker dereferences the freed slab on completion. KASAN report under UML+SLUB with a synthetic async aead backend bound to krb5->encrypt_name: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in t5_stub_complete+0x7d/0xc7 The helpers were written synchronously, so filter the async instances out at allocation time instead of plumbing crypto_wait_req() through every call site. Reachable via net/rxrpc/rxgk.c, fs/afs/cm_security.c and net/ceph/crypto.c on systems with an async AEAD provider bound to the krb5 enctype name.
CVE-2026-64066CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfs: Fix netfs_read_to_pagecache() to pause on subreq failure Fix netfs_read_to_pagecache() so that it pauses the generation of new subrequests if an already-issued subrequest fails.
CVE-2026-64383CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: fix double-free in SMB2_flush() replay SMB2_flush() keeps its response buffer bookkeeping across replay attempts. If a replayable flush response is received and the retry then fails before cifs_send_recv() stores a replacement response, flush_exit will free the stale response pointer a second time. Reinitialize resp_buftype and rsp_iov at the top of the replay loop so cleanup only acts on response state produced by the current attempt. This fixes a double-free without changing replay handling for successful requests.
CVE-2026-64067CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfs: Fix missing barriers when accessing stream->subrequests locklessly The list of subrequests attached to stream->subrequests is accessed without locks by netfs_collect_read_results() and netfs_collect_write_results(), and then they access subreq->flags without taking a barrier after getting the subreq pointer from the list. Relatedly, the functions that build the list don't use any sort of write barrier when constructing the list to make sure that the NETFS_SREQ_IN_PROGRESS flag is perceived to be set first if no lock is taken. Fix this by: (1) Add a new list_add_tail_release() function that uses a release barrier to set the pointer to the new member of the list. (2) Add a new list_first_entry_or_null_acquire() function that uses an acquire barrier to read the pointer to the first member in a list (or return NULL). (3) Use list_add_tail_release() when adding a subreq to ->subrequests. (4) Use list_first_entry_or_null_acquire() when initially accessing the front of the list (when an item is removed, the pointer to the new front iterm is obtained under the same lock).

References

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