| Release Date: | 2025-12-16 | |
| Impact: | Moderate | What is this? |
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: refresh inline data size before write operations The cached ei->i_inline_size can become stale between the initial size check and when ext4_update_inline_data()/ext4_create_inline_data() use it. Although ext4_get_max_inline_size() reads the correct value at the time of the check, concurrent xattr operations can modify i_inline_size before ext4_write_lock_xattr() is acquired. This causes ext4_update_inline_data() and ext4_create_inline_data() to work with stale capacity values, leading to a BUG_ON() crash in ext4_write_inline_data(): kernel BUG at fs/ext4/inline.c:1331! BUG_ON(pos + len > EXT4_I(inode)->i_inline_size); The race window: 1. ext4_get_max_inline_size() reads i_inline_size = 60 (correct) 2. Size check passes for 50-byte write 3. [Another thread adds xattr, i_inline_size changes to 40] 4. ext4_write_lock_xattr() acquires lock 5. ext4_update_inline_data() uses stale i_inline_size = 60 6. Attempts to write 50 bytes but only 40 bytes actually available 7. BUG_ON() triggers Fix this by recalculating i_inline_size via ext4_find_inline_data_nolock() immediately after acquiring xattr_sem. This ensures ext4_update_inline_data() and ext4_create_inline_data() work with current values that are protected from concurrent modifications. This is similar to commit a54c4613dac1 ("ext4: fix race writing to an inline_data file while its xattrs are changing") which fixed i_inline_off staleness. This patch addresses the related i_inline_size staleness issue.
See more information about CVE-2025-68264 from MITRE CVE dictionary and NIST NVD
NOTE: The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
| Base Score: | 5.5 |
| Vector String: | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
| Version: | 3.1 |
| Attack Vector: | Local |
| Attack Complexity: | Low |
| Privileges Required: | Low |
| User Interaction: | None |
| Scope: | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality Impact: | None |
| Integrity Impact: | None |
| Availability Impact: | High |
| Platform | Errata | Release Date |
| Oracle Linux version 10 (kernel-uek) | ELSA-2026-50112 | 2026-02-20 |
| Oracle Linux version 9 (kernel-uek) | ELSA-2026-50112 | 2026-02-20 |
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