CVE-2025-68264

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: refresh inline data size before write operations The cached ei->i_inline_size can become stale between the initial size check and when ext4_update_inline_data()/ext4_create_inline_data() use it. Although ext4_get_max_inline_size() reads the correct value at the time of the check, concurrent xattr operations can modify i_inline_size before ext4_write_lock_xattr() is acquired. This causes ext4_update_inline_data() and ext4_create_inline_data() to work with stale capacity values, leading to a BUG_ON() crash in ext4_write_inline_data(): kernel BUG at fs/ext4/inline.c:1331! BUG_ON(pos + len > EXT4_I(inode)->i_inline_size); The race window: 1. ext4_get_max_inline_size() reads i_inline_size = 60 (correct) 2. Size check passes for 50-byte write 3. [Another thread adds xattr, i_inline_size changes to 40] 4. ext4_write_lock_xattr() acquires lock 5. ext4_update_inline_data() uses stale i_inline_size = 60 6. Attempts to write 50 bytes but only 40 bytes actually available 7. BUG_ON() triggers Fix this by recalculating i_inline_size via ext4_find_inline_data_nolock() immediately after acquiring xattr_sem. This ensures ext4_update_inline_data() and ext4_create_inline_data() work with current values that are protected from concurrent modifications. This is similar to commit a54c4613dac1 ("ext4: fix race writing to an inline_data file while its xattrs are changing") which fixed i_inline_off staleness. This patch addresses the related i_inline_size staleness issue.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-12-16
Last modified 2026-04-15
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 3.8 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.10.248, 5.15.198, 6.1.160, 6.6.120, 6.12.62, 6.17.12, 6.18.1, 6.19 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 3.8
Fixed in
✓ 5.10.248 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.198 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.160 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.120 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.62 6.12.x ✓ 6.17.12 6.17.x ✓ 6.18.1 6.18.x ✓ 6.19

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-68264 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2025-68264?

    CVE-2025-68264 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.8 onward and has been patched in 5.10.248, 5.15.198, 6.1.160 and others. CVE-2025-68264 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2025-68264?

    Yes — CVE-2025-68264 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.248, 5.15.198, 6.1.160 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.8 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-68264 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-68264 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.