ext4: stop retrying saturated xattr cache entries

Summary

CVECVE-2026-80808
StatePUBLISHED
AssignerLinux
Source PriorityCVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published2026-09-04 16:18:07 UTC
Updated2026-09-04 16:18:07 UTC
DescriptionIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: stop retrying saturated xattr cache entries ext4_xattr_block_set() retries when a cache entry selected for reuse has a saturated reference count after taking the buffer lock. The retry returns to the mbcache lookup without making that entry ineligible, so it can select the same unusable entry indefinitely. A task spinning there can hold the parent directory's i_rwsem and leave concurrent rmdir callers blocked. Normally a reusable entry has a reference count below EXT4_XATTR_REFCOUNT_MAX because the count and MBE_REUSABLE_B are updated under the same buffer lock. A corrupted filesystem can violate that invariant. The syzbot reproducer reports allocator and xattr corruption before triggering this retry loop. Check the untrusted on-disk count before incrementing it, avoiding overflow, and clear MBE_REUSABLE_B when it is already saturated. The next lookup then skips the entry that was just proven unusable. This mirrors the normal transition at EXT4_XATTR_REFCOUNT_MAX; the release path marks the entry reusable again on the exact 1024-to-1023 transition. Using the same QEMU harness and guest parameters, current unpatched Linux hung in 6 of 8 420-second trials with the do_rmdir signature; representative NMI backtraces caught the owner spinning in ext4_xattr_block_set(). The patched kernel completed 28 of 28 trials without a hung-task report; the final twelve trials exercised the reviewed overflow-safe form of the change. syzbot's patch testing also completed without reproducing the hang.

Risk And Classification

EPSS: 0.001950000 probability, percentile 0.092860000 (date 2026-09-07)

Vendor Declared Affected Products

SourceVendorProductVersionPlatforms
CNA Linux Linux affected 1a56cd972ce121b6cf2517a47a578782bbd2ec95 119a2f053242ed75bdd2ebc95baf3ae7db6ccacf git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1be97463696c7291a3e1547614e96432b0bd3add 61631352a5b405c89be579de00903b72e6888aa4 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 65f8b80053a1b2fd602daa6814e62d6fa90e5e9b 8865cd664484517703df5c18a965dc3227572b87 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 65f8b80053a1b2fd602daa6814e62d6fa90e5e9b a40c45268f4358207aa9c53764fed2e05f62986a git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 65f8b80053a1b2fd602daa6814e62d6fa90e5e9b 889ec86464d261f026f6c334040cfc6c58c99d58 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 65f8b80053a1b2fd602daa6814e62d6fa90e5e9b 4902a5cba21aeaf91e6b29e20e0967a5f6abdcd9 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 65f8b80053a1b2fd602daa6814e62d6fa90e5e9b 55ee6533c1db7f7656fa8dd19637f3f8b8c08dc5 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 65f8b80053a1b2fd602daa6814e62d6fa90e5e9b dbd4aea175ad3c46436acb251e817b4374628072 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 65f8b80053a1b2fd602daa6814e62d6fa90e5e9b 54b6bd40898de7906acb2bccc9a96d1b8e6b4323 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 98953044b3cdb2cb7d82e7365b659e2ed4f4ca4d git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected af8ecc8d20e72130771cc076bce7fcf17ccda6c4 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected c6fac5cf5a5098732623bcd00a8a3eb9f5465144 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 96fa141fa295ae9428da73c56c9852053b575c04 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 5.10.163 5.10.267 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 5.15.61 5.15.218 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 4.19.270 4.20 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 5.4.229 5.5 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 5.18.18 5.19 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 5.19.2 5.20 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 6.0 Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.0 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 5.10.267 5.10.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 5.15.218 5.15.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.1.185 6.1.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.6.154 6.6.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.12.106 6.12.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.18.47 6.18.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 7.1.11 7.1.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 7.2.1 7.2.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 7.3-rc1 * original_commit_for_fix Not specified

References

ReferenceSourceLinkTags
git.kernel.org/stable/c/dbd4aea175ad3c46436acb251e817b4374628072 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/889ec86464d261f026f6c334040cfc6c58c99d58 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/a40c45268f4358207aa9c53764fed2e05f62986a 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/4902a5cba21aeaf91e6b29e20e0967a5f6abdcd9 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/54b6bd40898de7906acb2bccc9a96d1b8e6b4323 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/8865cd664484517703df5c18a965dc3227572b87 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/61631352a5b405c89be579de00903b72e6888aa4 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/119a2f053242ed75bdd2ebc95baf3ae7db6ccacf 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/55ee6533c1db7f7656fa8dd19637f3f8b8c08dc5 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
CVE Program record CVE.ORG www.cve.org canonical
NVD vulnerability detail NVD nvd.nist.gov canonical, analysis

© CVE.report 2026

Use of this information constitutes acceptance for use in an AS IS condition. There are NO warranties, implied or otherwise, with regard to this information or its use. Any use of this information is at the user's risk. It is the responsibility of user to evaluate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice or other content. EACH USER WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY consequences of his or her direct or indirect use of this web site. ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND ARE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED. This site will NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT or any other kind of loss.

CVE, CWE, and OVAL are registred trademarks of The MITRE Corporation and the authoritative source of CVE content is MITRE's CVE web site. This site includes MITRE data granted under the following license.

Free CVE JSON API cve.report/api

CVE.report and Source URL Uptime Status status.cve.report