# CVE-2023-52852: f2fs: compress: fix to avoid use-after-free on dic

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's f2fs compression module allows attackers to potentially execute code or cause a system crash.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 21 May 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-52852, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-52852, GHSA-4g8g-hf76-7rpm, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-52852

## What is CVE-2023-52852?

CVE-2023-52852 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 21 May 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-52852?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-52852?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-52852 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52852 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-52852 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-52852 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 21 May 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52852 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52852/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52852/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-52852
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-52852
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-52852

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52852/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.