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TI-2025-25137 Aliases CVE-2025-37785GHSA-w7jc-wqpw-qxqq

ext4: fix OOB read when checking dotdot dir

Priority LOW 34CWE-125Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
—
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 10 fixed, 3 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: fix OOB read when checking dotdot dir Mounting a corrupted filesystem with directory which contains '.' dir entry with rec_len == block size results in out-of-bounds read (later on, when the corrupted directory is removed). ext4_empty_dir() assumes every ext4 directory contains at least '.' and '..' as directory entries in the first data block. It first loads the '.' dir entry, performs sanity checks by calling ext4_check_dir_entry() and then uses its rec_len member to compute the location of '..' dir entry (in ext4_next_entry). It assumes the '..' dir entry fits into the same data block. If the rec_len of '.' is precisely one block (4KB), it slips through the sanity checks (it is considered the last directory entry in the data block) and leaves "struct ext4_dir_entry_2 *de" point exactly past the memory slot allocated to the data block. The following call to ext4_check_dir_entry() on new value of de then dereferences this pointer which results in out-of-bounds mem access. Fix this by extending __ext4_check_dir_entry() to check for '.' dir entries that reach the end of data block. Make sure to ignore the phony dir entries for checksum (by checking name_len for non-zero). Note: This is reported by KASAN as use-after-free in case another structure was recently freed from the slot past the bound, but it is really an OOB read. This issue was found by syzkaller tool. Call Trace: [ 38.594108] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __ext4_check_dir_entry+0x67e/0x710 [ 38.594649] Read of size 2 at addr ffff88802b41a004 by task syz-executor/5375 [ 38.595158] [ 38.595288] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 5375 Comm: syz-executor Not tainted 6.14.0-rc7 #1 [ 38.595298] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.16.3-0-ga6ed6b701f0a-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014 [ 38.595304] Call Trace: [ 38.595308] <TASK> [ 38.595311] dump_stack_lvl+0xa7/0xd0 [ 38.595325] print_address_description.constprop.0+0x2c/0x3f0 [ 38.595339] ? __ext4_check_dir_entry+0x67e/0x710 [ 38.595349] print_report+0xaa/0x250 [ 38.595359] ? __ext4_check_dir_entry+0x67e/0x710 [ 38.595368] ? kasan_addr_to_slab+0x9/0x90 [ 38.595378] kasan_report+0xab/0xe0 [ 38.595389] ? __ext4_check_dir_entry+0x67e/0x710 [ 38.595400] __ext4_check_dir_entry+0x67e/0x710 [ 38.595410] ext4_empty_dir+0x465/0x990 [ 38.595421] ? __pfx_ext4_empty_dir+0x10/0x10 [ 38.595432] ext4_rmdir.part.0+0x29a/0xd10 [ 38.595441] ? __dquot_initialize+0x2a7/0xbf0 [ 38.595455] ? __pfx_ext4_rmdir.part.0+0x10/0x10 [ 38.595464] ? __pfx___dquot_initialize+0x10/0x10 [ 38.595478] ? down_write+0xdb/0x140 [ 38.595487] ? __pfx_down_write+0x10/0x10 [ 38.595497] ext4_rmdir+0xee/0x140 [ 38.595506] vfs_rmdir+0x209/0x670 [ 38.595517] ? lookup_one_qstr_excl+0x3b/0x190 [ 38.595529] do_rmdir+0x363/0x3c0 [ 38.595537] ? __pfx_do_rmdir+0x10/0x10 [ 38.595544] ? strncpy_from_user+0x1ff/0x2e0 [ 38.595561] __x64_sys_unlinkat+0xf0/0x130 [ 38.595570] do_syscall_64+0x5b/0x180 [ 38.595583] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e

Why it matters now

EPSS 0.00314 24th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 5.4.293, 5.10.236, 5.15.180 +6Red Hat: 2 advisoriesRed Hat: 10 fixed, 3 without a fix

SSVC decision points

Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux2.6.19 and later5.4.293, 5.10.236, 5.15.180, 6.1.134, 6.6.87, 6.12.23, 6.13.11, 6.14.2, 6.15Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.19 and later Fixed in 5.4.293, 5.10.236, 5.15.180, 6.1.134, 6.6.87, 6.12.23, 6.13.11, 6.14.2, 6.15 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.19 to before 5.10.236; 5.11 to before 5.15.180; 5.16 to before 6.1.134; 6.2 to before 6.6.87; 6.7 to before 6.12.23; 6.13 to before 6.13.11; 6.14 to before 6.14.2VulnerableLinux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.19 to before 5.10.236; 5.11 to before 5.15.180; 5.16 to before 6.1.134; 6.2 to before 6.6.87; 6.7 to before 6.12.23; 6.13 to before 6.13.11; 6.14 to before 6.14.2 Vulnerable ·Linux

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.4.293, 5.10.236, 5.15.180, 6.1.134, 6.6.87, 6.12.23, 6.13.11, 6.14.2, 6.15

Red Hat 2 advisories

  • RHSA-2025:8643 Released 2025-06-09 · Red Hat rating Important
    kernel security update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) kernel-64k-debug-devel-5.14.0-570.21.1.el9_6, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-5.14.0-570.21.1.el9_6, kernel-64k-devel-5.14.0-570.21.1.el9_6 +12
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) kernel-5.14.0-570.21.1.el9_6, kernel-64k-5.14.0-570.21.1.el9_6, kernel-64k-core-5.14.0-570.21.1.el9_6 +28
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) kernel-tools-libs-devel-5.14.0-570.21.1.el9_6, libperf-5.14.0-570.21.1.el9_6
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-570.21.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-64k-5.14.0-570.21.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-64k-core-5.14.0-570.21.1.el9_6 +21
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-570.21.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-570.21.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-570.21.1.el9_6 +11
  • RHSA-2025:8374 Released 2025-06-02 · Red Hat rating Moderate
    kernel security update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) kernel-64k-debug-devel-6.12.0-55.14.1.el10_0, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-6.12.0-55.14.1.el10_0, kernel-64k-devel-6.12.0-55.14.1.el10_0 +12
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) kernel-6.12.0-55.14.1.el10_0, kernel-64k-6.12.0-55.14.1.el10_0, kernel-64k-core-6.12.0-55.14.1.el10_0 +28
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) kernel-tools-libs-devel-6.12.0-55.14.1.el10_0, libperf-6.12.0-55.14.1.el10_0
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 10) kernel-rt-6.12.0-55.14.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-64k-6.12.0-55.14.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-64k-core-6.12.0-55.14.1.el10_0 +21
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 10) kernel-rt-6.12.0-55.14.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-core-6.12.0-55.14.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-debug-6.12.0-55.14.1.el10_0 +11

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10)Fixed RHSA-2025:8374
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9)Fixed RHSA-2025:8643
Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10)Fixed RHSA-2025:8374
Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9)Fixed RHSA-2025:8643
Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10)Fixed RHSA-2025:8374
Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9)Fixed RHSA-2025:8643
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 10)Fixed RHSA-2025:8374
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9)Fixed RHSA-2025:8643
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 10)Fixed RHSA-2025:8374
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9)Fixed RHSA-2025:8643

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-37785
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-w7jc-wqpw-qxqq
  3. 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat

References

  • TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
See all 15278 →

Sources