CVE-2023-53838 (GCVE-0-2023-53838)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-12-09 01:29 – Updated: 2026-08-05 09:16
VLAI
Title
f2fs: synchronize atomic write aborts
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: f2fs: synchronize atomic write aborts To fix a race condition between atomic write aborts, I use the inode lock and make COW inode to be re-usable thoroughout the whole atomic file inode lifetime.
Severity
7.8 (High)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
Linux Linux Affected: 3db1de0e582c358dd013f3703cd55b5fe4076436 , < 102b82708c1523b36d421cb8687746906069bc17 (git)
Affected: 3db1de0e582c358dd013f3703cd55b5fe4076436 , < b7724360714642099cec907f54f42e55f5325453 (git)
Affected: 3db1de0e582c358dd013f3703cd55b5fe4076436 , < a46bebd502fe1a3bd1d22f64cedd93e7e7702693 (git)
Affected: 6db52f1944417c2601182a591a704e2f119c5215 (git)
Affected: 5.18.18 , < 5.19 (semver)
guessed Create a notification for this product.
Linux Linux Affected: 5.19
Unaffected: 0 , < 5.19 (semver)
Unaffected: 6.1.18 , ≤ 6.1.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.2.5 , ≤ 6.2.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.3 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
guessed Create a notification for this product.
Show details on NVD website
To clipboard 

{
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "fs/f2fs/file.c",
            "fs/f2fs/inode.c",
            "fs/f2fs/segment.c",
            "fs/f2fs/super.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "lessThan": "102b82708c1523b36d421cb8687746906069bc17",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "3db1de0e582c358dd013f3703cd55b5fe4076436",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "b7724360714642099cec907f54f42e55f5325453",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "3db1de0e582c358dd013f3703cd55b5fe4076436",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "a46bebd502fe1a3bd1d22f64cedd93e7e7702693",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "3db1de0e582c358dd013f3703cd55b5fe4076436",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "6db52f1944417c2601182a591a704e2f119c5215",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "5.19",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "5.18.18",
              "versionType": "semver"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "fs/f2fs/file.c",
            "fs/f2fs/inode.c",
            "fs/f2fs/segment.c",
            "fs/f2fs/super.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "5.19"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "5.19",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.1.18",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.2.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.2.5",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.3",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "nodes": [
            {
              "cpeMatch": [
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.1.18",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.19",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.2.5",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.19",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.3",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.19",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.18.18",
                  "vulnerable": true
                }
              ],
              "negate": false,
              "operator": "OR"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nf2fs: synchronize atomic write aborts\n\nTo fix a race condition between atomic write aborts, I use the inode\nlock and make COW inode to be re-usable thoroughout the whole\natomic file inode lifetime."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "baseScore": 7.8,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          },
          "scenarios": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "value": "AV:L - The race is driven entirely through local syscalls \u2014 `ioctl(F2FS_IOC_START_ATOMIC_WRITE/ABORT_ATOMIC_WRITE)` and `close()` \u2014 on a file residing on a mounted f2fs filesystem. No network or physical access is involved.\nAC:L - The attacker owns both sides of the race: it issues the unlocked `-\u003erelease` abort from its own `close()` in one thread while issuing the `inode_lock`-held abort ioctl from another, and can retry the loop indefinitely at no cost. The `inode_lock` provides no exclusion against the release path, so the window is wide and deterministic to hit.\nPR:L - `__f2fs_ioctl` gates the atomic-write ioctls only on `inode_owner_or_capable()`, which any unprivileged local user satisfies for a file they created on an f2fs mount (e.g. any Android app under /data). No capability, mount option, or crafted image is required.\nUI:N - The attacker performs every step itself \u2014 create file, start atomic write, race close against the abort ioctl. No victim action or cooperating process is needed; f2fs simply being mounted is an environmental default, not user interaction.\nS:U - The corruption stays within the kernel\u0027s own security authority \u2014 a freed `struct inode` in `f2fs_inode_cachep`. There is no VM, IOMMU, or sandbox boundary crossed.\nC:H - The double `iput()` frees the COW `struct inode` while another thread still dereferences it, and `prepare_atomic_write_begin()` continues reading through the dangling `fi-\u003ecow_inode`. Reclaiming the freed slot with attacker-groomed objects gives an arbitrary kernel read primitive and leaks the contents of adjacent inodes.\nI:H - The losing thread performs `clear_bit()` and a dirty-list insertion into freed memory plus a second `iput()`, producing a double-free and refcount underflow on an inode object that embeds `i_op`, `i_fop`, and `a_ops` function-pointer tables \u2014 a classic write/control-flow-hijack primitive, alongside on-disk metadata corruption from the double evict.\nA:H - Even unexploited, the race yields inode refcount underflow, slab double-free, list corruption, and NULL/wild-pointer dereference via `F2FS_I(NULL)-\u003eflags`, all of which oops or panic the kernel. The attacker can trigger it repeatedly from an unprivileged loop."
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T09:16:21.177Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/102b82708c1523b36d421cb8687746906069bc17"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b7724360714642099cec907f54f42e55f5325453"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a46bebd502fe1a3bd1d22f64cedd93e7e7702693"
        }
      ],
      "title": "f2fs: synchronize atomic write aborts",
      "x_generator": {
        "engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2023-53838",
    "datePublished": "2025-12-09T01:29:54.419Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-12-09T01:27:17.826Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T09:16:21.177Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2",
  "vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
    "epss": {
      "cve": "CVE-2023-53838",
      "date": "2026-09-27",
      "epss": "0.00192",
      "percentile": "0.07943"
    },
    "nvd": {
      "cve": {
        "affected": [
          {
            "affectedData": [
              {
                "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
                "product": "Linux",
                "programFiles": [
                  "fs/f2fs/file.c",
                  "fs/f2fs/inode.c",
                  "fs/f2fs/segment.c",
                  "fs/f2fs/super.c"
                ],
                "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
                "vendor": "Linux",
                "versions": [
                  {
                    "lessThan": "102b82708c1523b36d421cb8687746906069bc17",
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "3db1de0e582c358dd013f3703cd55b5fe4076436",
                    "versionType": "git"
                  },
                  {
                    "lessThan": "b7724360714642099cec907f54f42e55f5325453",
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "3db1de0e582c358dd013f3703cd55b5fe4076436",
                    "versionType": "git"
                  },
                  {
                    "lessThan": "a46bebd502fe1a3bd1d22f64cedd93e7e7702693",
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "3db1de0e582c358dd013f3703cd55b5fe4076436",
                    "versionType": "git"
                  },
                  {
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "6db52f1944417c2601182a591a704e2f119c5215",
                    "versionType": "git"
                  },
                  {
                    "lessThan": "5.19",
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "5.18.18",
                    "versionType": "semver"
                  }
                ]
              },
              {
                "defaultStatus": "affected",
                "product": "Linux",
                "programFiles": [
                  "fs/f2fs/file.c",
                  "fs/f2fs/inode.c",
                  "fs/f2fs/segment.c",
                  "fs/f2fs/super.c"
                ],
                "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
                "vendor": "Linux",
                "versions": [
                  {
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "5.19"
                  },
                  {
                    "lessThan": "5.19",
                    "status": "unaffected",
                    "version": "0",
                    "versionType": "semver"
                  },
                  {
                    "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*",
                    "status": "unaffected",
                    "version": "6.1.18",
                    "versionType": "semver"
                  },
                  {
                    "lessThanOrEqual": "6.2.*",
                    "status": "unaffected",
                    "version": "6.2.5",
                    "versionType": "semver"
                  },
                  {
                    "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
                    "status": "unaffected",
                    "version": "6.3",
                    "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
                  }
                ]
              }
            ],
            "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
          }
        ],
        "cveTags": [],
        "descriptions": [
          {
            "lang": "en",
            "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nf2fs: synchronize atomic write aborts\n\nTo fix a race condition between atomic write aborts, I use the inode\nlock and make COW inode to be re-usable thoroughout the whole\natomic file inode lifetime."
          }
        ],
        "id": "CVE-2023-53838",
        "lastModified": "2026-08-04T10:19:23.710",
        "metrics": {
          "cvssMetricV31": [
            {
              "cvssData": {
                "attackComplexity": "LOW",
                "attackVector": "LOCAL",
                "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
                "baseScore": 7.8,
                "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
                "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
                "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
                "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
                "scope": "UNCHANGED",
                "userInteraction": "NONE",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
                "version": "3.1"
              },
              "exploitabilityScore": 1.8,
              "impactScore": 5.9,
              "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
              "type": "Secondary"
            }
          ]
        },
        "published": "2025-12-09T16:17:23.400",
        "references": [
          {
            "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
            "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/102b82708c1523b36d421cb8687746906069bc17"
          },
          {
            "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
            "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a46bebd502fe1a3bd1d22f64cedd93e7e7702693"
          },
          {
            "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
            "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b7724360714642099cec907f54f42e55f5325453"
          }
        ],
        "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "vulnStatus": "Deferred"
      }
    },
    "redhat_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "Moderate",
      "current_release_date": "2026-08-04T19:14:54+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2023-53838",
      "id": "CVE-2023-53838",
      "initial_release_date": "2023-01-01T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "274",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "kernel: f2fs: synchronize atomic write aborts",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2023/cve-2023-53838.json",
      "version": "3"
    },
    "suse_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "moderate",
      "current_release_date": "2026-09-02T01:41:58Z",
      "cve": "CVE-2023-53838",
      "id": "CVE-2023-53838",
      "initial_release_date": "2025-12-10T00:35:00Z",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "515",
      "source": "SUSE CSAF VEX",
      "status": "interim",
      "title": "SUSE CVE CVE-2023-53838",
      "url": "https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/csaf-vex/cve-2023-53838.json",
      "version": "10"
    }
  }
}



Log in or create an account to share your comment.




Tags
Taxonomy of the tags.





Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

Sightings

Author Source Type Date Other

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.



Related by attack behaviour

Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.