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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2023-3111

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-06-05
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.14.318 / 4.19.286 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
A use after free vulnerability was found in prepare_to_relocate in fs/btrfs/relocation.c in btrfs in the Linux Kernel. This possible flaw can be triggered by calling btrfs_ioctl_balance() before calling btrfs_ioctl_defrag().

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

Use after free vulnerability in the btrfs filesystem's prepare_to_relocate function in fs/btrfs/relocation.c. The flaw is triggered by calling btrfs_ioctl_balance() before calling btrfs_ioctl_defrag(), causing memory corruption through freed memory access.

MitigationApply Linux kernel updates that include the fix for CVE-2023-3111; until patched, avoid calling btrfs_ioctl_balance() before btrfs_ioctl_defrag() on btrfs filesystems.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 2.6.31, < 4.14.318>= 4.15, < 4.19.286>= 4.20, < 5.4.247>= 5.5, < 5.10.184>= 5.11, < 5.15.63>= 5.16, < 5.19.4
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 10.0= 11.0
H300s FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
H410c FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
H410s FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
H500s FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
H700s FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify if btrfs filesystem is in use
    Run 'mount | grep btrfs' to list mounted btrfs filesystems, or check /proc/filesystems for btrfs support with 'cat /proc/filesystems | grep btrfs'
    Affected if btrfs filesystem is mounted or the btrfs kernel module is loaded
  2. Check Linux kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' to get the running kernel version, then compare against the affected ranges: < 4.14.318, >= 4.15 and < 4.19.286, >= 4.20 and < 5.4.247, >= 5.5 and < 5.10.184, >= 5.11 and < 5.15.63, >= 5.16 and < 5.19.4
    Affected if the kernel version falls within any of the affected version ranges
  3. Check for the vulnerable ioctl sequence in system usage
    Review any scripts or applications that call btrfs_ioctl_balance() followed by btrfs_ioctl_defrag() on btrfs filesystems; use 'auditctl -w /dev/btrfs-control -p w' to monitor btrfs ioctl calls if audit is available
    Affected if applications or scripts are known to call btrfs_ioctl_balance() before btrfs_ioctl_defrag() on btrfs filesystems
  4. Verify Debian version for affected systems
    For Debian systems, run 'cat /etc/debian_version' - versions 10.0 and 11.0 are affected if running a vulnerable kernel
    Affected if running Debian 10.0 or 11.0 with a kernel from the affected version ranges

You are affected if you are running a Linux kernel within the listed version ranges AND using a btrfs filesystem, with the added risk if your workloads invoke the btrfs_ioctl_balance() before btrfs_ioctl_defrag() sequence.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.14.318 / 4.19.286 / 5.4.247 or later
Fixed in 4.14.3184.19.2865.4.247
Interim mitigation

Apply Linux kernel updates that include the fix for CVE-2023-3111; until patched, avoid calling btrfs_ioctl_balance() before btrfs_ioctl_defrag() on btrfs filesystems.

Recommended fix High confidence

Linux Kernel 4.14.318+, 4.19.286+, 5.4.247+, or 5.10.184+ (or latest stable kernel)

  1. Identify the current running kernel version with 'uname -r'
  2. For Linux systems: Upgrade the kernel to version 4.14.318 or later (for 4.14.x kernels), 4.19.286 or later (for 4.19.x kernels), 5.4.247 or later (for 5.4.x kernels), or 5.10.184 or later (for 5.10.x kernels)
  3. On Debian systems: Run 'apt-get update && apt-get upgrade' to install the latest kernel security updates, or specifically 'apt-get install linux-image-$(uname -r)'
  4. After kernel upgrade, reboot the system to load the fixed kernel
  5. For H-series firmware devices (H300s, H410c, H410s, H500s, H700s): Contact the device vendor for available firmware updates that address this CVE
  6. Verify the fix by confirming the kernel version is at or above the fixed release: 'uname -r'
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require system reboot and could introduce compatibility issues with custom kernel modules or older drivers; verify backup of critical data before rebooting

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-3111 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data