ext4: fix e4b bitmap inconsistency reports
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: 14 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 e4b bitmap inconsistency reports A bitmap inconsistency issue was observed during stress tests under mixed huge-page workloads. Ext4 reported multiple e4b bitmap check failures like: ext4_mb_complex_scan_group:2508: group 350, 8179 free clusters as per group info. But got 8192 blocks Analysis and experimentation confirmed that the issue is caused by a race condition between page migration and bitmap modification. Although this timing window is extremely narrow, it is still hit in practice: folio_lock ext4_mb_load_buddy __migrate_folio check ref count folio_mc_copy __filemap_get_folio folio_try_get(folio) ...... mb_mark_used ext4_mb_unload_buddy __folio_migrate_mapping folio_ref_freeze folio_unlock The root cause of this issue is that the fast path of load_buddy only increments the folio's reference count, which is insufficient to prevent concurrent folio migration. We observed that the folio migration process acquires the folio lock. Therefore, we can determine whether to take the fast path in load_buddy by checking the lock status. If the folio is locked, we opt for the slow path (which acquires the lock) to close this concurrency window. Additionally, this change addresses the following issues: When the DOUBLE_CHECK macro is enabled to inspect bitmap-related issues, the following error may be triggered: corruption in group 324 at byte 784(6272): f in copy != ff on disk/prealloc Analysis reveals that this is a false positive. There is a specific race window where the bitmap and the group descriptor become momentarily inconsistent, leading to this error report: ext4_mb_load_buddy ext4_mb_load_buddy __filemap_get_folio(create|lock) folio_lock ext4_mb_init_cache folio_mark_uptodate __filemap_get_folio(no lock) ...... mb_mark_used mb_mark_used_double mb_cmp_bitmaps mb_set_bits(e4b->bd_bitmap) folio_unlock The original logic assumed that since mb_cmp_bitmaps is called when the bitmap is newly loaded from disk, the folio lock would be sufficient to prevent concurrent access. However, this overlooks a specific race condition: if another process attempts to load buddy and finds the folio is already in an uptodate state, it will immediately begin using it without holding folio lock.
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 | 2.6.25 and later | 6.1.191, 6.6.130, 6.12.75, 6.18.14, 6.19.4, 7.0 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.25 and later Fixed in 6.1.191, 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:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.25 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 2.6.25 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 6.1.191, 6.6.130, 6.12.75, 6.18.14, 6.19.4, 7.0
Red Hat 4 advisories
- RHSA-2026:72623 Released 2026-09-28 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) kernel-64k-debug-devel-5.14.0-687.53.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-5.14.0-687.53.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-devel-5.14.0-687.53.1.el9_8 +12
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) kernel-5.14.0-687.53.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-5.14.0-687.53.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-core-5.14.0-687.53.1.el9_8 +28
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) kernel-tools-libs-devel-5.14.0-687.53.1.el9_8, libperf-5.14.0-687.53.1.el9_8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-687.53.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-64k-5.14.0-687.53.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-64k-core-5.14.0-687.53.1.el9_8 +21
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-687.53.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-687.53.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-687.53.1.el9_8 +9
- RHSA-2026:72624 Released 2026-09-28 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) kernel-64k-debug-devel-6.12.0-211.61.1.el10_2, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-6.12.0-211.61.1.el10_2, kernel-64k-devel-6.12.0-211.61.1.el10_2 +12
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) kernel-6.12.0-211.61.1.el10_2, kernel-64k-6.12.0-211.61.1.el10_2, kernel-64k-core-6.12.0-211.61.1.el10_2 +29
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) kernel-tools-libs-devel-6.12.0-211.61.1.el10_2, libperf-6.12.0-211.61.1.el10_2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 10) kernel-rt-6.12.0-211.61.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-64k-6.12.0-211.61.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-64k-core-6.12.0-211.61.1.el10_2 +21
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 10) kernel-rt-6.12.0-211.61.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-core-6.12.0-211.61.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-debug-6.12.0-211.61.1.el10_2 +9
- RHSA-2026:72468 Released 2026-09-28 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) bpftool-4.18.0-553.169.1.el8_10, kernel-4.18.0-553.169.1.el8_10, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-553.169.1.el8_10 +19
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8) kernel-tools-libs-devel-4.18.0-553.169.1.el8_10
Show 1 more Red Hat advisories
- RHSA-2026:72467 Released 2026-09-28 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel-rt security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux NFV (v. 8) kernel-rt-4.18.0-553.169.1.rt7.510.el8_10, kernel-rt-core-4.18.0-553.169.1.rt7.510.el8_10, kernel-rt-debug-4.18.0-553.169.1.rt7.510.el8_10 +9
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux RT (v. 8) kernel-rt-4.18.0-553.169.1.rt7.510.el8_10, kernel-rt-core-4.18.0-553.169.1.rt7.510.el8_10, kernel-rt-debug-4.18.0-553.169.1.rt7.510.el8_10 +7
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72624 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72623 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72624 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72468 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72623 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72468 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72624 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72623 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux NFV (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72467 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux RT (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72467 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72624 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72623 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72624 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72623 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-45942
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-w5q7-xvcj-p6c8
- 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-19 Weakness changed · CISA ADP
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@a3a7d360252c0d84ae8bda067fb296c9e82928d3 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-11-06 CVSS score changed · Red Hat
References
Patch 5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/57e83bfbe1e412ac42daced2086f3c6f9a17bba0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c05033cfc5c7699cd4df8d48cef94d01da755f24
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/29a07d691d282faf38c33d4b61839b89399110f9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f29709a7a3fc38f5015d850504762cdef0e151f9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bdc56a9c46b2a99c12313122b9352b619a2e719e
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Sources
- CVE-2026-45942 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-45942 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-w5q7-xvcj-p6c8 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-45942 · 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