Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ubifs: ubifs_releasepage:...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ubifs: ubifs_releasepage: Remove ubifs_assert(0) to valid this process
There are two states for ubifs writing pages:
- Dirty, Private
- Not Dirty, Not Private
The normal process cannot go to ubifs_releasepage() which means there
exists pages being private but not dirty. Reproducer[1] shows that it
could occur (which maybe related to [2]) with following process:
PA PB PC
lock(page)[PA]
ubifs_write_end
attach_page_private // set Private
__set_page_dirty_nobuffers // set Dirty
unlock(page)
write_cache_pages[PA]
lock(page)
clear_page_dirty_for_io(page) // clear Dirty
ubifs_writepage
do_truncation[PB]
truncate_setsize
i_size_write(inode, newsize) // newsize = 0
i_size = i_size_read(inode) // i_size = 0
end_index = i_size >> PAGE_SHIFT
if (page->index > end_index)
goto out // jump
out:
unlock(page) // Private, Not Dirty
generic_fadvise[PC]
lock(page)
invalidate_inode_page
try_to_release_page
ubifs_releasepage
ubifs_assert(c, 0)
// bad assertion!
unlock(page)
truncate_pagecache[PB]
Then we may get following assertion failed:
UBIFS error (ubi0:0 pid 1683): ubifs_assert_failed [ubifs]:
UBIFS assert failed: 0, in fs/ubifs/file.c:1513
UBIFS warning (ubi0:0 pid 1683): ubifs_ro_mode [ubifs]:
switched to read-only mode, error -22
CPU: 2 PID: 1683 Comm: aa Not tainted 5.16.0-rc5-00184-g0bca5994cacc-dirty #308
Call Trace:
dump_stack+0x13/0x1b
ubifs_ro_mode+0x54/0x60 [ubifs]
ubifs_assert_failed+0x4b/0x80 [ubifs]
ubifs_releasepage+0x67/0x1d0 [ubifs]
try_to_release_page+0x57/0xe0
invalidate_inode_page+0xfb/0x130
__invalidate_mapping_pages+0xb9/0x280
invalidate_mapping_pagevec+0x12/0x20
generic_fadvise+0x303/0x3c0
ksys_fadvise64_64+0x4c/0xb0
[1] https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=215373
[2] https://linux-mtd.infradead.narkive.com/NQoBeT1u/patch-rfc-ubifs-fix-assert-failed-in-ubifs-set-page-dirty
Impact
CVE-2023-53584 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-53584? CVE-2023-53584 is a medium-severity security vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet.
- How severe is CVE-2023-53584? CVE-2023-53584 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-53584? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2023-53584 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2023-53584 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-53584 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2023-53584 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.