CVE-2023-52909: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: fix handling of cached open files in nfsd4_open codepath Commit fb70bf124b05 ("NFSD:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: fix handling of cached open files in nfsd4_open codepath Commit fb70bf124b05 ("NFSD:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: fix handling of cached open files in nfsd4_open codepath Commit fb70bf124b05 ("NFSD: Instantiate a struct file when creating a regular NFSv4 file") added the ability to cache an open fd over a compound. There are a couple of problems with the way this currently works: It's racy, as a newly-created nfsd_file can end up with its PENDING bit cleared while the nf is hashed, and the nf_file pointer is still zeroed out. Other tasks can find it in this state and they expect to see a valid nf_file, and can oops if nf_file is NULL. Also, there is no guarantee that we'll end up creating a new nfsd_file if one is already in the hash. If an extant entry is in the hash with a valid nf_file, nfs4_get_vfs_file will clobber its nf_file pointer with the value of op_file and the old nf_file will leak. Fix both issues by making a new nfsd_file_acquirei_opened variant that takes an optional file pointer. If one is present when this is called, we'll take a new reference to it instead of trying to open the file. If the nfsd_file already has a valid nf_file, we'll just ignore the optional file and pass the nfsd_file back as-is

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

What it means for a small business

Linux is on the computers, phones or browsers your team uses every day. Turn on automatic updates and restart: most of these fixes only take effect after a restart.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.64%, higher than 50% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored October 29, 2026, updated daily.

Check your own setup

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Server check: what your web server says about itself, and whether that version has known flaws.

Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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