# CVE-2023-54209: block: fix blktrace debugfs entries leakage

> A local attacker can leak debugfs entries by enabling blktrace via ioctl after disk deletion, potentially causing resource exhaustion.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **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:** 30 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-54209, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54209, GHSA-mxfp-7rqw-mqhc, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54209

## What is CVE-2023-54209?

CVE-2023-54209 is a denial of service vulnerability in Linux, published on 30 Dec 2025. 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:

block: fix blktrace debugfs entries leakage

Commit 99d055b4fd4b ("block: remove per-disk debugfs files in
blk_unregister_queue") moves blk_trace_shutdown() from
blk_release_queue() to blk_unregister_queue(), this is safe if blktrace
is created through sysfs, however, there is a regression in corner
case.

blktrace can still be enabled after del_gendisk() through ioctl if
the disk is opened before del_gendisk(), and if blktrace is not shutdown
through ioctl before closing the disk, debugfs entries will be leaked.

Fix this problem by shutdown blktrace in disk_release(), this is safe
because blk_trace_remove() is reentrant.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-54209?


## How do I fix CVE-2023-54209?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-54209 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-54209 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-54209 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-54209 is a denial of service vulnerability in Linux, published on 30 Dec 2025. 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-2023-54209 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2023-54209/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-54209/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-54209
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-54209
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-54209

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-54209/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.