ext4: fix dirtyclusters double decrement on fs shutdown
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-415 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: fix dirtyclusters double decrement on fs shutdown fstests test generic/388 occasionally reproduces a warning in ext4_put_super() associated with the dirty clusters count: WARNING: CPU: 7 PID: 76064 at fs/ext4/super.c:1324 ext4_put_super+0x48c/0x590 [ext4] Tracing the failure shows that the warning fires due to an s_dirtyclusters_counter value of -1. IOW, this appears to be a spurious decrement as opposed to some sort of leak. Further tracing of the dirty cluster count deltas and an LLM scan of the resulting output identified the cause as a double decrement in the error path between ext4_mb_mark_diskspace_used() and the caller ext4_mb_new_blocks(). First, note that generic/388 is a shutdown vs. fsstress test and so produces a random set of operations and shutdown injections. In the problematic case, the shutdown triggers an error return from the ext4_handle_dirty_metadata() call(s) made from ext4_mb_mark_context(). The changed value is non-zero at this point, so ext4_mb_mark_diskspace_used() does not exit after the error bubbles up from ext4_mb_mark_context(). Instead, the former decrements both cluster counters and returns the error up to ext4_mb_new_blocks(). The latter falls into the !ar->len out path which decrements the dirty clusters counter a second time, creating the inconsistency. To avoid this problem and simplify ownership of the cluster reservation in this codepath, lift the counter reduction to a single place in the caller. This makes it more clear that ext4_mb_new_blocks() is responsible for acquiring cluster reservation (via ext4_claim_free_clusters()) in the !delalloc case as well as releasing it, regardless of whether it ends up consumed or returned due to failure.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
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 | 2.6.29 and later | 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167, 6.6.130, 6.12.75, 6.18.14, 6.19.4, 7.0 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.29 and later Fixed in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167, 6.6.130, 6.12.75, 6.18.14, 6.19.4, 7.0 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.29 to before 5.10.253; 5.11 to before 5.15.203; 5.16 to before 6.1.167; 6.2 to before 6.6.130; 6.7 to before 6.12.75; 6.13 to before 6.18.14; 6.19 to before 6.19.4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.29 to before 5.10.253; 5.11 to before 5.15.203; 5.16 to before 6.1.167; 6.2 to before 6.6.130; 6.7 to before 6.12.75; 6.13 to before 6.18.14; 6.19 to before 6.19.4 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167, 6.6.130, 6.12.75, 6.18.14, 6.19.4, 7.0
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. 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 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| 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 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-45920
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-r62x-r6m8-28mx
- 2026-11-06 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/523d5a4df3c649fa305c89efb552ec62a1ce9d3d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ca408af08544d96769c93a3d81a7f63f61129e95
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/55576fa14771d33994c29a9ae960e07bb3f56c20
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dbc4e10619ed87a50e637b96f2e574df36a7a769
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/61e372122b6d95aec940fdaea0a16f988f359897
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3924aea2c33df3864929c1acd178bfc29d8f005f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/81982a11406c5da6c6e2b188028e7056e16b7128
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/94a8cea54cd935c54fa2fba70354757c0fc245e3
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Sources
- CVE-2026-45920 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-45920 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-r62x-r6m8-28mx · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-45920 · 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