In the Linux kernel, a flaw in the ocfs2 filesystem module caused the ocfs2_read_inode_block_full function to call make_bad_inode, which resets an inode’s type to a regular file. This misleads the VFS lookup process and can trigger a VFS_BUG_ON_INODE assertion, resulting in a kernel panic. The crash can disrupt system availability and, if an attacker can force the fault, may provide a local privilege escalation path.

All Linux kernel distributions that include the ocfs2 filesystem are impacted. The bug was introduced by commit 58b6fcd2ab34 and was subsequently reverted. No specific kernel version range is listed, so any kernel containing the faulty code path is potentially vulnerable. The issue surfaces when a directory inode on an ocfs2 volume is accessed during an active VFS lookup.

The CVSS score is not disclosed, and the EPSS value is unknown, so the exploitation probability remains unclear from public data. The vulnerability is not cataloged in CISA’s KEV list. The attack vector is local, requiring the ability to mount or access an ocfs2 filesystem and trigger inode validation logic. Because the defect can lead to a kernel crash, it presents a high severity risk to system availability and may enable privilege escalation if an attacker can drive the fault condition.