# CVE-2023-53172: linux: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  fsverity: reject FS_IOC_ENABLE_VERITY on mode 3...

CVE-2023-53172 is fixed in linux on 1 platform, first by DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53172, released September 15, 2025. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: Routine.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-53172
- Priority: Routine
- CVSS: 5.5 (medium)
- EPSS: 0.0014
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Sep 15, 2025

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  fsverity: reject FS_IOC_ENABLE_VERITY on mode 3 fds  Commit 56124d6c87fd ("fsverity: support enabling with tree block size < PAGE_SIZE") changed FS_IOC_ENABLE_VERITY to use __kernel_read() to read the file's data, instead of direct pagecache accesses.  An unintended consequence of this is that the 'WARN_ON_ONCE(!(file->f_mode & FMODE_READ))' in __kernel_read() became reachable by fuzz tests.  This happens if FS_IOC_ENABLE_VERITY is called on a fd opened with access mode 3, which means "ioctl access only".  Arguably, FS_IOC_ENABLE_VERITY should work on ioctl-only fds.  But ioctl-only fds are a weird Linux extension that is rarely used and that few people even know about.  (The documentation for FS_IOC_ENABLE_VERITY even specifically says it requires O_RDONLY.)  It's probably not worthwhile to make the ioctl internally open a new fd just to handle this case.  Thus, just reject the ioctl on such fds for now.

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | linux Debian 13.5 (trixie) | 6.3.7-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53172](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2023-53172.md) | Sep 15, 2025 |
| Linux | linux Debian 14 | 6.3.7-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53172](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2023-53172.md) | Sep 15, 2025 |

---

Data as of 2026-11-08T00:53:09Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

Free to use with attribution: show "Data: Patchblox Patch Radar" with a link to https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar. Terms, including what needs a written agreement: https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar/use-the-data

Product names, logos and trademarks shown on Patch Radar belong to their respective owners. They are used only to identify the software each security fix applies to and to help readers find their platform. Their use does not imply any affiliation with, or endorsement by, those owners, and Patchblox is not affiliated with any of them.