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

nilfs2: fix use-after-free of nilfs_root in dirtying inodes via iput

During unmount process of nilfs2, nothing holds nilfs_root structure after
nilfs2 detaches its writer in nilfs_detach_log_writer(). Previously,
nilfs_evict_inode() could cause use-after-free read for nilfs_root if
inodes are left in "garbage_list" and released by nilfs_dispose_list at
the end of nilfs_detach_log_writer(), and this bug was fixed by commit
9b5a04ac3ad9 ("nilfs2: fix use-after-free bug of nilfs_root in
nilfs_evict_inode()").

However, it turned out that there is another possibility of UAF in the
call path where mark_inode_dirty_sync() is called from iput():

nilfs_detach_log_writer()
nilfs_dispose_list()
iput()
mark_inode_dirty_sync()
__mark_inode_dirty()
nilfs_dirty_inode()
__nilfs_mark_inode_dirty()
nilfs_load_inode_block() --> causes UAF of nilfs_root struct

This can happen after commit 0ae45f63d4ef ("vfs: add support for a
lazytime mount option"), which changed iput() to call
mark_inode_dirty_sync() on its final reference if i_state has I_DIRTY_TIME
flag and i_nlink is non-zero.

This issue appears after commit 28a65b49eb53 ("nilfs2: do not write dirty
data after degenerating to read-only") when using the syzbot reproducer,
but the issue has potentially existed before.

Fix this issue by adding a "purging flag" to the nilfs structure, setting
that flag while disposing the "garbage_list" and checking it in
__nilfs_mark_inode_dirty().

Unlike commit 9b5a04ac3ad9 ("nilfs2: fix use-after-free bug of nilfs_root
in nilfs_evict_inode()"), this patch does not rely on ns_writer to
determine whether to skip operations, so as not to break recovery on
mount. The nilfs_salvage_orphan_logs routine dirties the buffer of
salvaged data before attaching the log writer, so changing
__nilfs_mark_inode_dirty() to skip the operation when ns_writer is NULL
will cause recovery write to fail. The purpose of using the cleanup-only
flag is to allow for narrowing of such conditions.
Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.


Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

History

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 16:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nilfs2: fix use-after-free of nilfs_root in dirtying inodes via iput During unmount process of nilfs2, nothing holds nilfs_root structure after nilfs2 detaches its writer in nilfs_detach_log_writer(). Previously, nilfs_evict_inode() could cause use-after-free read for nilfs_root if inodes are left in "garbage_list" and released by nilfs_dispose_list at the end of nilfs_detach_log_writer(), and this bug was fixed by commit 9b5a04ac3ad9 ("nilfs2: fix use-after-free bug of nilfs_root in nilfs_evict_inode()"). However, it turned out that there is another possibility of UAF in the call path where mark_inode_dirty_sync() is called from iput(): nilfs_detach_log_writer() nilfs_dispose_list() iput() mark_inode_dirty_sync() __mark_inode_dirty() nilfs_dirty_inode() __nilfs_mark_inode_dirty() nilfs_load_inode_block() --> causes UAF of nilfs_root struct This can happen after commit 0ae45f63d4ef ("vfs: add support for a lazytime mount option"), which changed iput() to call mark_inode_dirty_sync() on its final reference if i_state has I_DIRTY_TIME flag and i_nlink is non-zero. This issue appears after commit 28a65b49eb53 ("nilfs2: do not write dirty data after degenerating to read-only") when using the syzbot reproducer, but the issue has potentially existed before. Fix this issue by adding a "purging flag" to the nilfs structure, setting that flag while disposing the "garbage_list" and checking it in __nilfs_mark_inode_dirty(). Unlike commit 9b5a04ac3ad9 ("nilfs2: fix use-after-free bug of nilfs_root in nilfs_evict_inode()"), this patch does not rely on ns_writer to determine whether to skip operations, so as not to break recovery on mount. The nilfs_salvage_orphan_logs routine dirties the buffer of salvaged data before attaching the log writer, so changing __nilfs_mark_inode_dirty() to skip the operation when ns_writer is NULL will cause recovery write to fail. The purpose of using the cleanup-only flag is to allow for narrowing of such conditions.
Title nilfs2: fix use-after-free of nilfs_root in dirtying inodes via iput
References

cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2025-09-16T16:11:49.099Z

Reserved: 2025-09-16T16:08:59.562Z

Link: CVE-2023-53311

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2025-09-16T17:15:36.967

Modified: 2025-09-16T17:15:36.967

Link: CVE-2023-53311

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.