Medium severity · published Mar 4, 2026
CVE-2026-23238
romfs: check sb_set_blocksize() return value
5.5
CVSS
0.2%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
romfs: check sb_set_blocksize() return value
romfs_fill_super() ignores the return value of sb_set_blocksize(), which
can fail if the requested block size is incompatible with the block
device's configuration.
This can be triggered by setting a loop device's block size larger than
PAGE_SIZE using ioctl(LOOP_SET_BLOCK_SIZE, 32768), then mounting a romfs
filesystem on that device.
When sb_set_blocksize(sb, ROMBSIZE) is called with ROMBSIZE=4096 but the
device has logical_block_size=32768, bdev_validate_blocksize() fails
because the requested size is smaller than the device's logical block
size. sb_set_blocksize() returns 0 (failure), but romfs ignores this and
continues mounting.
The superblock's block size remains at the device's logical block size
(32768). Later, when sb_bread() attempts I/O with this oversized block
size, it triggers a kernel BUG in folio_set_bh():
kernel BUG at fs/buffer.c:1582!
BUG_ON(size > PAGE_SIZE);
Fix by checking the return value of sb_set_blocksize() and failing the
mount with -EINVAL if it returns 0.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.2% · higher than 10% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
KE
Kernel · Linux
2.6.12.1 before 5.10.251; 5.11 before 5.15.201; 5.16 before 6.1.164; 6.2 before 6.6.127; 6.7 before 6.12.74; 6.13 before 6.18.13; +12 more · source: NVD
LI
Linux · Linux
1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before a381f0f61b35c8894b0bd0d6acef2d8f9b08b244; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before f2521ab1f63a8c244f06a080319e5ff9a2e1bd95; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 2c5829cd8fbbc91568c520b666898f57cdcb8cf6; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before cbd9931e6456822067725354d83446c5bb813030; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 9b203b8ddd7359270e8a694d0584743555128e2c; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 4b71ad7676564a94ec5f7d18298f51e8ae53db73; +2 more · source: vendor
RR
RUGGEDCOM RST2428P · Siemens
before V4.0 · source: CISA
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23238
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23238
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2c5829cd8fbbc91568c520b666898f57cdcb8cf6
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4b71ad7676564a94ec5f7d18298f51e8ae53db73
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b203b8ddd7359270e8a694d0584743555128e2c
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a381f0f61b35c8894b0bd0d6acef2d8f9b08b244
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ab7ad7abb3660c58ffffdf07ff3bb976e7e0afa0
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cbd9931e6456822067725354d83446c5bb813030
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