CVE-2026-74307: ext4: validate donor file superblock early in EXT4_IOC_MOVE_EXT

Published Aug 15, 2026
·
Updated

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

ext4: validate donor file superblock early in EXT4IOCMOVEEXT

Reject the EXT4IOCMOVEEXT ioctl early if the donor file does not belong to the same superblock as the original file. Currently, this validation is performed inside ext4moveextents() by mextcheckvalidity(), but only after locktwonondirectories() has already acquired the inode locks. When the donor fd refers to a file on a different filesystem (e.g., overlayfs), this late validation creates a circular lock dependency:

CPU0 (overlayfs write) CPU1 (ext4 ioctl) ---- ---- inodelock(ovlinode) mntwantwritefile(filp) sbstartwrite(ext4sb) [sbwriters] backingfilewriteiter() vfsiterwrite(realfile) filestartwrite(realfile) sbstartwrite(ext4sb) [blocked by freeze] locktwonondirectories() inodelock(ovlinode) [blocked]

With a concurrent freeze operation holding sbwriters write side, this forms a deadlock cycle: CPU0 waits for freeze to complete, freeze waits for CPU1's sbwriters reader to exit, CPU1 waits for CPU0's inode lock.

Since EXT4IOCMOVEEXT exchanges physical extents between two files, it fundamentally requires both files to reside on the same ext4 filesystem. Moving the superblock check before any lock acquisition is both semantically correct and eliminates the circular dependency by ensuring that cross-filesystem donor fds are rejected before sbwriters or inode locks are taken.

Affected Software

1 affected component
The Linux Kernel Project Linux Kernel

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Compensating control

    Ensure EXT4_IOC_MOVE_EXT requests with a donor fd that refers to a file on a different filesystem are rejected before lock acquisition (cross-filesystem donor fds must be rejected early in EXT4_IOC_MOVE_EXT) to avoid the circular lock dependency/deadlock described.

Event History

Aug 15, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·05:58 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·05:58 AM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·06:22 AM
Description

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-74307?

CVE-2026-74307 has a risk rating of 27, indicating a significant level of severity.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-74307?

To mitigate CVE-2026-74307, ensure that you are using the latest version of the Linux kernel where this vulnerability has been resolved.

3

What does CVE-2026-74307 affect?

CVE-2026-74307 affects the ext4 filesystem in the Linux kernel, particularly related to the EXT4_IOC_MOVE_EXT ioctl.

4

What are the consequences of CVE-2026-74307?

Exploitation of CVE-2026-74307 could lead to unauthorized file operations within the ext4 filesystem.

5

How can I determine if I am vulnerable to CVE-2026-74307?

You can determine vulnerability to CVE-2026-74307 by checking your Linux kernel version against updates that address this vulnerability.

Contact

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