CVE-2025-39835: xfs: do not propagate ENODATA disk errors into xattr code

Published Sep 16, 2025
·
Updated

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

xfs: do not propagate ENODATA disk errors into xattr code

ENODATA (aka ENOATTR) has a very specific meaning in the xfs xattr code; namely, that the requested attribute name could not be found.

However, a medium error from disk may also return ENODATA. At best, this medium error may escape to userspace as "attribute not found" when in fact it's an IO (disk) error.

At worst, we may oops in xfsattrleafget() when we do:

error = xfsattrleafhasname(args, &bp); if (error == -ENOATTR) { xfstransbrelse(args->trans, bp); return error; }

because an ENODATA/ENOATTR error from disk leaves us with a null bp, and the xfstransbrelse will then null-deref it.

As discussed on the list, we really need to modify the lower level IO functions to trap all disk errors and ensure that we don't let unique errors like this leak up into higher xfs functions - many like this should be remapped to EIO.

However, this patch directly addresses a reported bug in the xattr code, and should be safe to backport to stable kernels. A larger-scope patch to handle more unique errors at lower levels can follow later.

(Note, prior to 07120f1abdff we did not oops, but we did return the wrong error code to userspace.)

Affected Software

13 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Kernel=
Microsoft cbl2 kernel 5.15.186.1-1
Linux Linux kernel>=5.9<5.10.242
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11<5.15.191
Linux Linux kernel>=5.16<6.1.150
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2<6.6.104
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.12.45
Linux Linux kernel>=6.13<6.16.5
Linux Linux kernel=6.17-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=6.17-rc2
Linux Linux kernel=6.17-rc3
Debian Debian Linux=11.0
debian/linux
6.1.176-16.1.190-16.12.107-16.12.113-17.2.12-17.2.13-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.1.176-1Fixed in 6.1.190-1Fixed in 6.12.107-1Fixed in 6.12.113-1Fixed in 7.2.12-1Fixed in 7.2.13-1
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Patch 07120f1abdff

Event History

Sep 16, 2025
CVE Published
via MITRE·01:08 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·01:08 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·02:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Sep 20, 2025
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·08:07 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Peer vulnerabilities

Found alongside the following vulnerabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2025-39835?

CVE-2025-39835 has been classified with medium severity due to its potential impact on xfs xattr code operations.

2

How do I fix CVE-2025-39835?

To fix CVE-2025-39835, ensure that you update to the patched version of the Linux kernel provided by your distribution.

3

What specific issue does CVE-2025-39835 address?

CVE-2025-39835 addresses the inappropriate propagation of ENODATA disk errors into the xattr code in the Linux kernel.

4

Which versions of the Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2025-39835?

CVE-2025-39835 affects various versions of the Linux kernel that utilize the xfs filesystem.

5

Is there a workaround for CVE-2025-39835?

Currently, the best approach is to apply the kernel update rather than relying on a workaround for CVE-2025-39835.

Contact

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