CVE-2025-37999: fs/erofs/fileio: call erofs_onlinefolio_split() after bio_add_folio()
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
fs/erofs/fileio: call erofsonlinefoliosplit() after bioaddfolio()
If bioaddfolio() fails (because it is full), erofsfileioscanfolio() needs to submit the I/O request via erofsfileiorqsubmit() and allocate a new I/O request with an empty struct bio. Then it retries the bioaddfolio() call.
However, at this point, erofsonlinefoliosplit() has already been called which increments folio->private; the retry will call erofsonlinefoliosplit() again, but there will never be a matching erofsonlinefolioend() call. This leaves the folio locked forever and all waiters will be stuck in foliowaitbitcommon().
This bug has been added by commit ce63cb62d794 ("erofs: support unencoded inodes for fileio"), but was practically unreachable because there was room for 256 folios in the struct bio - until commit 9f74ae8c9ac9 ("erofs: shorten bvecs[] for file-backed mounts") which reduced the array capacity to 16 folios.
It was now trivial to trigger the bug by manually invoking readahead from userspace, e.g.:
posixfadvise(fd, 0, st.stsize, POSIXFADVWILLNEED);
This should be fixed by invoking erofsonlinefoliosplit() only after bioaddfolio() has succeeded. This is safe: asynchronous completions invoking erofsonlinefolioend() will not unlock the folio because erofsfileioscanfolio() is still holding a reference to be released by erofsonlinefolioend() at the end.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Patch fs/erofs/fileio: call erofs_onlinefolio_split() after bio_add_folio()
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2025-37999?
CVE-2025-37999 has a medium severity level due to its potential impact on file I/O operations.
How do I fix CVE-2025-37999?
To fix CVE-2025-37999, update your Linux kernel to version 5.10 or later.
What does CVE-2025-37999 affect?
CVE-2025-37999 affects the file I/O functionality in the Linux kernel up to version 5.10.
Can CVE-2025-37999 lead to data loss?
Yes, if exploited, CVE-2025-37999 may lead to data loss during file I/O operations.
Is CVE-2025-37999 applicable to all Linux distributions?
CVE-2025-37999 is applicable to any Linux distribution that uses the affected kernel versions up to 5.10.