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

ext4: fix bug_on in __es_tree_search caused by bad boot loader inode

We got a issue as fllows:
==================================================================
kernel BUG at fs/ext4/extents_status.c:203!
invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP
CPU: 1 PID: 945 Comm: cat Not tainted 6.0.0-next-20221007-dirty #349
RIP: 0010:ext4_es_end.isra.0+0x34/0x42
RSP: 0018:ffffc9000143b768 EFLAGS: 00010203
RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffff8881769cd0b8 RCX: 0000000000000000
RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffffffff8fc27cf7 RDI: 00000000ffffffff
RBP: ffff8881769cd0bc R08: 0000000000000000 R09: ffffc9000143b5f8
R10: 0000000000000001 R11: 0000000000000001 R12: ffff8881769cd0a0
R13: ffff8881768e5668 R14: 00000000768e52f0 R15: 0000000000000000
FS: 00007f359f7f05c0(0000)GS:ffff88842fd00000(0000)knlGS:0000000000000000
CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
CR2: 00007f359f5a2000 CR3: 000000017130c000 CR4: 00000000000006e0
DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000
DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400
Call Trace:
<TASK>
__es_tree_search.isra.0+0x6d/0xf5
ext4_es_cache_extent+0xfa/0x230
ext4_cache_extents+0xd2/0x110
ext4_find_extent+0x5d5/0x8c0
ext4_ext_map_blocks+0x9c/0x1d30
ext4_map_blocks+0x431/0xa50
ext4_mpage_readpages+0x48e/0xe40
ext4_readahead+0x47/0x50
read_pages+0x82/0x530
page_cache_ra_unbounded+0x199/0x2a0
do_page_cache_ra+0x47/0x70
page_cache_ra_order+0x242/0x400
ondemand_readahead+0x1e8/0x4b0
page_cache_sync_ra+0xf4/0x110
filemap_get_pages+0x131/0xb20
filemap_read+0xda/0x4b0
generic_file_read_iter+0x13a/0x250
ext4_file_read_iter+0x59/0x1d0
vfs_read+0x28f/0x460
ksys_read+0x73/0x160
__x64_sys_read+0x1e/0x30
do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd
</TASK>
==================================================================

In the above issue, ioctl invokes the swap_inode_boot_loader function to
swap inode<5> and inode<12>. However, inode<5> contain incorrect imode and
disordered extents, and i_nlink is set to 1. The extents check for inode in
the ext4_iget function can be bypassed bacause 5 is EXT4_BOOT_LOADER_INO.
While links_count is set to 1, the extents are not initialized in
swap_inode_boot_loader. After the ioctl command is executed successfully,
the extents are swapped to inode<12>, in this case, run the `cat` command
to view inode<12>. And Bug_ON is triggered due to the incorrect extents.

When the boot loader inode is not initialized, its imode can be one of the
following:
1) the imode is a bad type, which is marked as bad_inode in ext4_iget and
set to S_IFREG.
2) the imode is good type but not S_IFREG.
3) the imode is S_IFREG.

The BUG_ON may be triggered by bypassing the check in cases 1 and 2.
Therefore, when the boot loader inode is bad_inode or its imode is not
S_IFREG, initialize the inode to avoid triggering the BUG.
Advisories

No advisories yet.

Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.


Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

History

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate


Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: fix bug_on in __es_tree_search caused by bad boot loader inode We got a issue as fllows: ================================================================== kernel BUG at fs/ext4/extents_status.c:203! invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP CPU: 1 PID: 945 Comm: cat Not tainted 6.0.0-next-20221007-dirty #349 RIP: 0010:ext4_es_end.isra.0+0x34/0x42 RSP: 0018:ffffc9000143b768 EFLAGS: 00010203 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffff8881769cd0b8 RCX: 0000000000000000 RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffffffff8fc27cf7 RDI: 00000000ffffffff RBP: ffff8881769cd0bc R08: 0000000000000000 R09: ffffc9000143b5f8 R10: 0000000000000001 R11: 0000000000000001 R12: ffff8881769cd0a0 R13: ffff8881768e5668 R14: 00000000768e52f0 R15: 0000000000000000 FS: 00007f359f7f05c0(0000)GS:ffff88842fd00000(0000)knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 00007f359f5a2000 CR3: 000000017130c000 CR4: 00000000000006e0 DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000 DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400 Call Trace: <TASK> __es_tree_search.isra.0+0x6d/0xf5 ext4_es_cache_extent+0xfa/0x230 ext4_cache_extents+0xd2/0x110 ext4_find_extent+0x5d5/0x8c0 ext4_ext_map_blocks+0x9c/0x1d30 ext4_map_blocks+0x431/0xa50 ext4_mpage_readpages+0x48e/0xe40 ext4_readahead+0x47/0x50 read_pages+0x82/0x530 page_cache_ra_unbounded+0x199/0x2a0 do_page_cache_ra+0x47/0x70 page_cache_ra_order+0x242/0x400 ondemand_readahead+0x1e8/0x4b0 page_cache_sync_ra+0xf4/0x110 filemap_get_pages+0x131/0xb20 filemap_read+0xda/0x4b0 generic_file_read_iter+0x13a/0x250 ext4_file_read_iter+0x59/0x1d0 vfs_read+0x28f/0x460 ksys_read+0x73/0x160 __x64_sys_read+0x1e/0x30 do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd </TASK> ================================================================== In the above issue, ioctl invokes the swap_inode_boot_loader function to swap inode<5> and inode<12>. However, inode<5> contain incorrect imode and disordered extents, and i_nlink is set to 1. The extents check for inode in the ext4_iget function can be bypassed bacause 5 is EXT4_BOOT_LOADER_INO. While links_count is set to 1, the extents are not initialized in swap_inode_boot_loader. After the ioctl command is executed successfully, the extents are swapped to inode<12>, in this case, run the `cat` command to view inode<12>. And Bug_ON is triggered due to the incorrect extents. When the boot loader inode is not initialized, its imode can be one of the following: 1) the imode is a bad type, which is marked as bad_inode in ext4_iget and set to S_IFREG. 2) the imode is good type but not S_IFREG. 3) the imode is S_IFREG. The BUG_ON may be triggered by bypassing the check in cases 1 and 2. Therefore, when the boot loader inode is bad_inode or its imode is not S_IFREG, initialize the inode to avoid triggering the BUG.
Title ext4: fix bug_on in __es_tree_search caused by bad boot loader inode
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Projects

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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2025-12-09T00:00:11.665Z

Reserved: 2025-12-08T23:57:43.370Z

Link: CVE-2022-50638

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2025-12-09T01:16:46.120

Modified: 2025-12-09T18:37:13.640

Link: CVE-2022-50638

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Moderate

Publid Date: 2025-12-09T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2022-50638 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses

No weakness.