CVE-2023-53584
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a race condition in the UBIFS filesystem implementation in the Linux kernel where an assertion failure can trigger a read-only mode switch. It affects Linux systems using UBIFS filesystems, potentially causing denial of service through forced read-only filesystem transitions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
📦 What is this software?
Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
System crash or forced read-only filesystem leading to data loss or service disruption if critical writes are blocked.
Likely Case
Local denial of service through UBIFS filesystem being forced into read-only mode, disrupting operations on affected filesystems.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if systems have redundancy, backups, and can tolerate temporary read-only filesystem states.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to manipulate file operations on UBIFS filesystems.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel trees (commits: 66f4742e93523ab2f062d9d9828b3e590bc61536, 7750be5d3e18500b454714677463b500a0b8b0d8, bd188ff1c8a1935c93a1e3cacf3be62667fdf762)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/66f4742e93523ab2f062d9d9828b3e590bc61536
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from official kernel.org or distribution vendor. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify UBIFS modules are loaded from patched kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Avoid UBIFS usage
linuxUse alternative filesystems where possible to avoid the vulnerable code path
Restrict local access
linuxLimit user access to systems with UBIFS filesystems to reduce attack surface
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor system logs for UBIFS assertion failures and read-only mode transitions
- Implement filesystem redundancy and ensure critical data is backed up regularly
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and UBIFS module loading: 'uname -r' and 'lsmod | grep ubifs'Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is updated and check dmesg for absence of UBIFS assertion errors: 'dmesg | grep -i ubifs'📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- UBIFS assert failed messages in kernel logs
- UBIFS switched to read-only mode warnings
- Error -22 in UBIFS context
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND "UBIFS assert failed" OR "ubifs_ro_mode"