fs: don't return -EINVAL for successful nested thaw
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
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- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 2 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs: don't return -EINVAL for successful nested thaw Commit 7366f8b6fc6a ("fs: handle freezing from multiple devices") replaced the freeze_holders bitmask with per-holder counters to allow nested freezes. In the bitmask version, a thaw that released a shared hold while another holder remained returned 0. Since the rework, thaw_super_locked() drops the freeze reference via freeze_dec() but then returns -EINVAL when other freezers remain, misinforming the caller: the thaw did succeed, the superblock just stays frozen for the remaining holders. This breaks bdev-initiated freezing. When a filesystem is frozen with FIFREEZE and additionally frozen via bdev_freeze() -- which nests by design, see fs_bdev_freeze() -- the subsequent bdev_thaw() receives -EINVAL from the holder op although its freeze reference was dropped, and therefore keeps bd_fsfreeze_count elevated. Then device-mapper's unlock_fs() ignores bdev_thaw()'s return value, so nothing rebalances the count. After the user's FITHAW and umount, the block device can never be mounted again: dm-1: Can't mount, blockdev is frozen There is no way for userspace to drop the leaked count; only destroying the block device (or a reboot) recovers the device. Reproducer (any kernel since v6.8): dmsetup create dut --table "0 $(blockdev --getsz "$DEV") linear $DEV 0" mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/dut mount /dev/mapper/dut /mnt fsfreeze --freeze /mnt # freeze_ucount == 1 dmsetup suspend dut # bd_fsfreeze_count == 1, ucount == 2 dmsetup resume dut # ucount 2 -> 1, but thaw_super() # returns -EINVAL, so bdev_thaw() # keeps bd_fsfreeze_count at 1 fsfreeze --unfreeze /mnt # filesystem thaws fine umount /mnt mount /dev/mapper/dut /mnt # EBUSY, forever The same happens with fsfreeze held across an LVM snapshot of the origin volume. fs_bdev_thaw()'s documentation already describes the intended semantics: "If this function returns zero it doesn't mean that the filesystem is unfrozen as it may have been frozen multiple times". Restore them by returning 0 when a nested thaw drops its hold while other freezers remain. Thawing without holding a freeze still fails with -EINVAL as may_unfreeze() rejects that case before the reference count is touched.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.12.111, 6.18.53, 7.2.7, 7.3
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 |
Not affected: 5 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-97902
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-vh56-x82h-2pwm
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-11-07 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
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Sources
- CVE-2026-97902 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-97902 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-vh56-x82h-2pwm · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-97902 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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