The current status is:
- we are aware of the issue: crash of many Max versions once datasmith exporter 5.3 installed.
- for some people/on some installation, it will not crash: this is why our testers did not notice the crash.
- our first go at fixing it was incomplete and we need more time to work on it.
If you have an earlier version than Max 2024 then you should stick to the 5.2 version of the Datasmith Exporter.
If you are stuck with Max 2024, there is no official fix at the moment. You could try exporting using USD or FBX. If you want to try your luck, a user mentioned a work around here 3ds max 2024? - #29 by deaconfrost47