ext2: reject inodes with zero i_nlink and valid mode in ext2_iget()

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Summary

CVECVE-2026-46002
StatePUBLISHED
AssignerLinux
Source PriorityCVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published2026-05-27 14:17:17 UTC
Updated2026-06-16 15:26:25 UTC
DescriptionIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext2: reject inodes with zero i_nlink and valid mode in ext2_iget() ext2_iget() already rejects inodes with i_nlink == 0 when i_mode is zero or i_dtime is set, treating them as deleted. However, the case of i_nlink == 0 with a non-zero mode and zero dtime slips through. Since ext2 has no orphan list, such a combination can only result from filesystem corruption - a legitimate inode deletion always sets either i_dtime or clears i_mode before freeing the inode. A crafted image can exploit this gap to present such an inode to the VFS, which then triggers WARN_ON inside drop_nlink() (fs/inode.c) via ext2_unlink(), ext2_rename() and ext2_rmdir(): WARNING: CPU: 3 PID: 609 at fs/inode.c:336 drop_nlink+0xad/0xd0 fs/inode.c:336 CPU: 3 UID: 0 PID: 609 Comm: syz-executor Not tainted 6.12.77+ #1 Call Trace: <TASK> inode_dec_link_count include/linux/fs.h:2518 [inline] ext2_unlink+0x26c/0x300 fs/ext2/namei.c:295 vfs_unlink+0x2fc/0x9b0 fs/namei.c:4477 do_unlinkat+0x53e/0x730 fs/namei.c:4541 __x64_sys_unlink+0xc6/0x110 fs/namei.c:4587 do_syscall_64+0xf5/0x220 arch/x86/entry/common.c:78 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f </TASK> WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 646 at fs/inode.c:336 drop_nlink+0xad/0xd0 fs/inode.c:336 CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 646 Comm: syz.0.17 Not tainted 6.12.77+ #1 Call Trace: <TASK> inode_dec_link_count include/linux/fs.h:2518 [inline] ext2_rename+0x35e/0x850 fs/ext2/namei.c:374 vfs_rename+0xf2f/0x2060 fs/namei.c:5021 do_renameat2+0xbe2/0xd50 fs/namei.c:5178 __x64_sys_rename+0x7e/0xa0 fs/namei.c:5223 do_syscall_64+0xf5/0x220 arch/x86/entry/common.c:78 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f </TASK> WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 634 at fs/inode.c:336 drop_nlink+0xad/0xd0 fs/inode.c:336 CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 634 Comm: syz-executor Not tainted 6.12.77+ #1 Call Trace: <TASK> inode_dec_link_count include/linux/fs.h:2518 [inline] ext2_rmdir+0xca/0x110 fs/ext2/namei.c:311 vfs_rmdir+0x204/0x690 fs/namei.c:4348 do_rmdir+0x372/0x3e0 fs/namei.c:4407 __x64_sys_unlinkat+0xf0/0x130 fs/namei.c:4577 do_syscall_64+0xf5/0x220 arch/x86/entry/common.c:78 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f </TASK> Extend the existing i_nlink == 0 check to also catch this case, reporting the corruption via ext2_error() and returning -EFSCORRUPTED. This rejects the inode at load time and prevents it from reaching any of the namei.c paths. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.

Risk And Classification

Primary CVSS: v3.1 5.5 MEDIUM from [email protected]

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS: 0.000320000 probability, percentile 0.097350000 (date 2026-06-04)

Problem Types: NVD-CWE-noinfo

CVSS v3.1 Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

NVD Known Affected Configurations (CPE 2.3)

TypeVendorProductVersionUpdateEditionLanguage
Operating System Linux Linux Kernel All All All All

Vendor Declared Affected Products

SourceVendorProductVersionPlatforms
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 1b80cf48bcf0e1937af9cd6c7beb188762bbf7c5 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 9e2d67fb2b73eeff8b601e26b332128eae8147bb git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 a69a0c5156b6f0092b9fcf44517f5831a962de2d git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 32e0b925572686399243834ec99e2a9d85c62eae git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 d3af04a43db86379df7438bf8bade71685b8a239 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 2dde6377ab2e46bb80cf066c659ef016f3ad7a9b git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 470264bbec499e276a89a6431144ae58f411ea4d git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 25947cc5b2374cd5bf627fe3141496444260d04f git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 2.6.12 Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 2.6.12 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 5.10.258 5.10.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 5.15.209 5.15.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.1.175 6.1.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.6.140 6.6.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.12.86 6.12.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.18.27 6.18.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 7.0.4 7.0.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 7.1 * original_commit_for_fix Not specified

References

ReferenceSourceLinkTags
git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e2d67fb2b73eeff8b601e26b332128eae8147bb 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/470264bbec499e276a89a6431144ae58f411ea4d 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/2dde6377ab2e46bb80cf066c659ef016f3ad7a9b 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/1b80cf48bcf0e1937af9cd6c7beb188762bbf7c5 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/a69a0c5156b6f0092b9fcf44517f5831a962de2d 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/32e0b925572686399243834ec99e2a9d85c62eae 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/25947cc5b2374cd5bf627fe3141496444260d04f 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/d3af04a43db86379df7438bf8bade71685b8a239 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
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