CVE-2026-89723: nilfs2: fix slab-out-of-bounds in nilfs_direct_propagate after truncation
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
nilfs2: fix slab-out-of-bounds in nilfsdirectpropagate after truncation
Shuangpeng Bai reported that KASAN detected a slab-out-of-bounds error in nilfsdirectpropagate() during testing.
Analysis revealed that after truncating a file, a node block immediately below the B-tree root was not deleted. Instead, it remained in the B-tree node cache in a dirty state. The log writer subsequently detected this block and incorrectly invoked nilfsdirectpropagate() on it, which is designed to handle only data blocks in direct mapping.
B-tree nodes in the cache are managed by virtual block numbers, and their logical keys typically exceed the range expected by direct mapping. Consequently, processing such a node as a direct mapping entry triggers a slab-out-of-bounds access.
The root cause is that when a B-tree mapping collapses into a direct mapping during truncation, an intermediate node block pointed to by the root node is left behind as garbage instead of being explicitly deleted.
This resolves the issue by adding a nilfsbtreediscard() operation to delete the remaining intermediate node block during the conversion. A 'deform' flag is added to the bopdelete interface to explicitly signal that the deletion is part of a mapping transformation. This allows the B-tree mapping implementation to perform the necessary cleanup and discarding of the residual node structure that would be otherwise be left orphaned after the transition.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
nilfs2to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Patch nilfs2: fix slab-out-of-bounds in nilfs_direct_propagate after truncation - Compensating control
Ensure the nilfs2 B-tree mapping conversion after truncation explicitly deletes the residual intermediate node block left behind (i.e., that the deletion is part of the mapping transformation), instead of treating the node as a direct mapping block that is passed to nilfs_direct_propagate().
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Which systems are exposed to this issue?
Systems using the Linux kernel's NILFS2 filesystem are relevant. The fault is triggered when truncation causes a B-tree mapping to collapse into direct mapping while an intermediate B-tree node remains cached and dirty.
How can an affected condition be identified?
KASAN can detect the resulting slab-out-of-bounds access in nilfs_direct_propagate(). The condition involves a dirty intermediate B-tree node block remaining in the node cache after file truncation and later being processed by the log writer.