CVE-2026-90333: dm-integrity: replace forgeable discard filler with a keyed sector marker

Published Sep 17, 2026
·
Updated

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

dm-integrity: replace forgeable discard filler with a keyed sector marker

The discard-block check in dmintegrityrwtag() treats a stored tag of all 0xf6 bytes (DISCARDFILLER) as proof a block was discarded and skips HMAC verification. allowdiscards is only accepted in dm-integrity's standalone mode. An attacker with raw write access to the backing device, but without the integrity key, can stamp any block with an all-0xf6 tag and have it served as authentic.

Add a new "allowdiscardskeyed" target argument that marks discarded blocks with a keyed checksum of (salt || sector) instead, computed by integritydiscardchecksum().

Affected Software

1 affected component
Linux Kernel

Event History

Sep 17, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·04:08 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·04:08 PM
Description

Frequently Asked Questions

1

Who is exposed to this issue?

Systems using dm-integrity in standalone mode with discard support enabled are exposed if an attacker has raw write access to the backing device but does not possess the integrity key.

2

What does an attacker need to do to bypass integrity verification?

The attacker needs raw write access to the backing device and can replace a block's stored tag with all 0xf6 bytes. The discard-block check then treats the block as discarded and skips HMAC verification.

3

Does this affect every dm-integrity configuration?

No. The described vulnerable discard handling applies because allow_discards is accepted only in dm-integrity standalone mode.

4

What configuration change addresses the issue?

Use the new allow_discards_keyed target argument, which marks discarded blocks using a keyed checksum of the salt and sector rather than the forgeable fixed discard filler.

Contact

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