xfs: delete attr leaf freemap entries when empty
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 4 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-190 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfs: delete attr leaf freemap entries when empty Back in commit 2a2b5932db6758 ("xfs: fix attr leaf header freemap.size underflow"), Brian Foster observed that it's possible for a small freemap at the end of the end of the xattr entries array to experience a size underflow when subtracting the space consumed by an expansion of the entries array. There are only three freemap entries, which means that it is not a complete index of all free space in the leaf block. This code can leave behind a zero-length freemap entry with a nonzero base. Subsequent setxattr operations can increase the base up to the point that it overlaps with another freemap entry. This isn't in and of itself a problem because the code in _leaf_add that finds free space ignores any freemap entry with zero size. However, there's another bug in the freemap update code in _leaf_add, which is that it fails to update a freemap entry that begins midway through the xattr entry that was just appended to the array. That can result in the freemap containing two entries with the same base but different sizes (0 for the "pushed-up" entry, nonzero for the entry that's actually tracking free space). A subsequent _leaf_add can then allocate xattr namevalue entries on top of the entries array, leading to data loss. But fixing that is for later. For now, eliminate the possibility of confusion by zeroing out the base of any freemap entry that has zero size. Because the freemap is not intended to be a complete index of free space, a subsequent failure to find any free space for a new xattr will trigger block compaction, which regenerates the freemap. It looks like this bug has been in the codebase for quite a long time.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.12 and later | 5.10.252, 5.15.202, 6.1.165, 6.6.128, 6.12.75, 6.18.16, 6.19.6, 7.0 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.12 and later Fixed in 5.10.252, 5.15.202, 6.1.165, 6.6.128, 6.12.75, 6.18.16, 6.19.6, 7.0 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 6
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12.1 to before 5.10.252; 5.11 to before 5.15.202; 5.16 to before 6.1.165; 6.2 to before 6.6.128; 6.7 to before 6.12.75; 6.13 to before 6.18.16; 6.19 to before 6.19.6 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 rc4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12.1 to before 5.10.252; 5.11 to before 5.15.202; 5.16 to before 6.1.165; 6.2 to before 6.6.128; 6.7 to before 6.12.75; 6.13 to before 6.18.16; 6.19 to before 6.19.6 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.252, 5.15.202, 6.1.165, 6.6.128, 6.12.75, 6.18.16, 6.19.6, 7.0
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-43187
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-8h5h-g93f-3ff6
- 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-16 Priority changed: LOW → MEDIUM
- 2026-10-19 Weakness changed · CISA ADP
- 2026-10-25 EPSS moved to the below the 50th percentile
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f3c0d1fc1eadbb4adbee5ab7757d41d35f48325b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aa9083d97e2157da3c6fb45ddb1a97af7f188f7f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a631899025d47ea1aa6464d76db5b4d3b6d196fd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ffaf5c99d0f862db021fb1af8b813c1416b1beb2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e1b8c6452ee99a30e188a88f3f3f804fb1c6004a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f31a8334e1c54b126fcecf98645a49b6bc5ad399
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/479b05fc3ee272090f671b06a41f3da8aa78eece
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f13c1d2a6271c2e73226864a0e83de2770b6f34
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
- 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
Sources
- CVE-2026-43187 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-43187 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-8h5h-g93f-3ff6 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-43187 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences