GHSA-WQXG-FF3C-39JF

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-07-19 12:30 – Updated: 2026-10-21 15:40
VLAI
Details

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

f2fs: read COW data with the original inode during atomic write

When updating an atomic-write file, f2fs_write_begin() may read the previously written data back from the COW inode: prepare_atomic_write_begin() locates the block in the COW inode and sets use_cow, and the read bio is then built with the COW inode:

f2fs_submit_page_read(use_cow ? F2FS_I(inode)->cow_inode : inode,
              ...);

and f2fs_grab_read_bio() decides whether to schedule fs-layer decryption (STEP_DECRYPT) for the bio based on that inode via fscrypt_inode_uses_fs_layer_crypto().

However, the folio being filled belongs to the original inode (folio->mapping->host == inode), and the data stored in the COW block was encrypted (or left as plaintext) using the original inode's context, not the COW inode's -- see f2fs_encrypt_one_page(), which keys off fio->page->mapping->host. fscrypt_decrypt_pagecache_blocks() likewise operates on folio->mapping->host.

The COW inode is created as a tmpfile in the parent directory and inherits its encryption policy from there. With test_dummy_encryption the newly created COW inode gets the dummy policy and becomes encrypted, while a pre-existing regular file -- created before the policy applied, e.g. already present in the on-disk image -- stays unencrypted. The read path then sets STEP_DECRYPT based on the encrypted COW inode and calls fscrypt_decrypt_pagecache_blocks() on a folio whose host (the unencrypted original inode) has a NULL ->i_crypt_info, dereferencing it:

Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address ... KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000008-0x000000000000000f] RIP: 0010:fscrypt_decrypt_pagecache_blocks+0xa0/0x310 Workqueue: f2fs_post_read_wq f2fs_post_read_work Call Trace: fscrypt_decrypt_bio+0x1eb/0x340 f2fs_post_read_work+0xba/0x140 process_one_work+0x91c/0x1a40 worker_thread+0x677/0xe90 kthread+0x2bc/0x3a0

The COW inode is only needed to locate the on-disk block, and that block address is already resolved into @blkaddr by prepare_atomic_write_begin() via __find_data_block(cow_inode, ...); f2fs_submit_page_read() then reads from that physical @blkaddr directly, so the inode argument only selects the post-read crypto context, not which block is fetched. Reading with @inode therefore returns the same (latest, not-yet-committed) COW data, while making both the fs-layer decryption decision and the inline crypto path use the correct (original inode's) key.

With the COW inode no longer used at the read site, the use_cow flag has no remaining consumer; drop it from f2fs_write_begin() and prepare_atomic_write_begin().

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{
  "affected": [],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2026-63811"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [],
    "github_reviewed": false,
    "github_reviewed_at": null,
    "nvd_published_at": "2026-07-19T12:16:54Z",
    "severity": null
  },
  "details": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nf2fs: read COW data with the original inode during atomic write\n\nWhen updating an atomic-write file, f2fs_write_begin() may read the\npreviously written data back from the COW inode:\nprepare_atomic_write_begin() locates the block in the COW inode and sets\nuse_cow, and the read bio is then built with the COW inode:\n\n\tf2fs_submit_page_read(use_cow ? F2FS_I(inode)-\u003ecow_inode : inode,\n\t\t\t      ...);\n\nand f2fs_grab_read_bio() decides whether to schedule fs-layer decryption\n(STEP_DECRYPT) for the bio based on that inode via\nfscrypt_inode_uses_fs_layer_crypto().\n\nHowever, the folio being filled belongs to the original inode\n(folio-\u003emapping-\u003ehost == inode), and the data stored in the COW block was\nencrypted (or left as plaintext) using the original inode\u0027s context, not\nthe COW inode\u0027s -- see f2fs_encrypt_one_page(), which keys off\nfio-\u003epage-\u003emapping-\u003ehost.  fscrypt_decrypt_pagecache_blocks() likewise\noperates on folio-\u003emapping-\u003ehost.\n\nThe COW inode is created as a tmpfile in the parent directory and inherits\nits encryption policy from there.  With test_dummy_encryption the newly\ncreated COW inode gets the dummy policy and becomes encrypted, while a\npre-existing regular file -- created before the policy applied, e.g.\nalready present in the on-disk image -- stays unencrypted.  The read\npath then sets STEP_DECRYPT based on the encrypted COW inode and calls\nfscrypt_decrypt_pagecache_blocks() on a folio whose host (the unencrypted\noriginal inode) has a NULL -\u003ei_crypt_info, dereferencing it:\n\n  Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address ...\n  KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000008-0x000000000000000f]\n  RIP: 0010:fscrypt_decrypt_pagecache_blocks+0xa0/0x310\n  Workqueue: f2fs_post_read_wq f2fs_post_read_work\n  Call Trace:\n   fscrypt_decrypt_bio+0x1eb/0x340\n   f2fs_post_read_work+0xba/0x140\n   process_one_work+0x91c/0x1a40\n   worker_thread+0x677/0xe90\n   kthread+0x2bc/0x3a0\n\nThe COW inode is only needed to locate the on-disk block, and that block\naddress is already resolved into @blkaddr by prepare_atomic_write_begin()\nvia __find_data_block(cow_inode, ...); f2fs_submit_page_read() then reads\nfrom that physical @blkaddr directly, so the inode argument only selects\nthe post-read crypto context, not which block is fetched.  Reading with\n@inode therefore returns the same (latest, not-yet-committed) COW data,\nwhile making both the fs-layer decryption decision and the inline crypto\npath use the correct (original inode\u0027s) key.\n\nWith the COW inode no longer used at the read site, the use_cow flag has no\nremaining consumer; drop it from f2fs_write_begin() and\nprepare_atomic_write_begin().",
  "id": "GHSA-wqxg-ff3c-39jf",
  "modified": "2026-10-21T15:40:40Z",
  "published": "2026-07-19T12:30:23Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-63811"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/655d55c5740d37ffdf6233ff5fe21cea879407f1"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7e4ab3907f44dc243d026048d7f5d477dae9267b"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a41075acde0124d2f8a5f563068a5d63e8ffd57b"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a92332f32a8d31a7eee47b1dc1d751cb3319908f"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bcc9df992f3cbc43f2ecfe0b22e428e50f326e72"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": []
}



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