CVE-2025-40190
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ext4: guard against EA inode refcount underflow in xattr update
syzkaller found a path where ext4_xattr_inode_update_ref() reads an EA inode refcount that is already <= 0 and then applies ref_change (often -1). That lets the refcount underflow and we proceed with a bogus value, triggering errors like:
Make the invariant explicit: if the current refcount is non-positive, treat this as on-disk corruption, emit ext4_error_inode(), and fail the operation with -EFSCORRUPTED instead of updating the refcount. Delete the WARN_ONCE() as negative refcounts are now impossible; keep error reporting in ext4_error_inode().
Leer descripción completaMostrar menos
This prevents the underflow and the follow-on orphan/cleanup churn.
Detalles técnicos trazas, registros y código del informe original
EXT4-fs error: EA inode <n> ref underflow: ref_count=-1 ref_change=-1 EXT4-fs warning: ea_inode dec ref err=-117
CVSS
- Versión: 3.1
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Puntuación base: 7.8
Probabilidad de explotación (EPSS)
- Probabilidad de explotación en los próximos 30 días: 0.17%
- Percentil entre todas las CVEs puntuadas: 5
- Fecha de la puntuación: 5/10/2026
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, de FIRST) estima la probabilidad de que una vulnerabilidad sea explotada en 30 días. Complementa a CVSS (impacto) y a CISA KEV (explotación confirmada).
🎯 Técnicas ATT&CK
Cómo se explota esta vulnerabilidad y qué consigue el atacante, en el lenguaje de MITRE ATT&CK.
- Explotación
T1203Exploitation for Client Executionexecution75 % - Impacto principal
T1499.004Application or System Exploitationimpact65 % - Impacto secundario
T1565.001Stored Data Manipulationimpact60 %
Requiere interacción del usuario (UI:R) con archivo ext4 manipulado; DoS por corrupción del inodo EA; T1203 por ejecución en contexto del kernel al procesar xattr malformado.
Inferido por nuestro agente de análisis a partir de la descripción oficial, el vector CVSS y la CWE, y comprobado por un supervisor. Puede contener errores.
🛡️ Mitigaciones ATT&CK que cubren estas técnicas
Tecnologías afectadas (1)
⚠ Inferidas por IA a partir de la descripción — NVD aún no ha analizado esta CVE; no son CPE verificados.
Referencias
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1cfb3e4ddbdc8e02e637b8852540bd4718bf4814
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3d6269028246f4484bfed403c947a114bb583631
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/440b003f449a4ff2a00b08c8eab9ba5cd28f3943
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/505e69f76ac497e788f4ea0267826ec7266b40c8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/57295e835408d8d425bef58da5253465db3d6888
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6b879c4c6bbaab03c0ad2a983953bd1410bb165e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/79ea7f3e11effe1bd9e753172981d9029133a278
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ea39e712c2f5ae148ee5515798ae03523673e002
JSON original (NVD)
Mostrar
{
"id": "CVE-2025-40190",
"cveTags": [],
"metrics": {
"cvssMetricV31": [
{
"type": "Secondary",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"cvssData": {
"scope": "UNCHANGED",
"version": "3.1",
"baseScore": 7.8,
"attackVector": "LOCAL",
"baseSeverity": "HIGH",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"integrityImpact": "HIGH",
"userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
"attackComplexity": "LOW",
"availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
"privilegesRequired": "NONE",
"confidentialityImpact": "HIGH"
},
"impactScore": 5.9,
"exploitabilityScore": 1.8
}
]
},
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{
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"affectedData": [
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"vendor": "Linux",
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{
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{
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{
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],
"programFiles": [
"fs/ext4/xattr.c"
],
"defaultStatus": "unaffected"
},
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"product": "Linux",
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{
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},
{
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},
{
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{
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},
{
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"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
"lessThanOrEqual": "*"
}
],
"programFiles": [
"fs/ext4/xattr.c"
],
"defaultStatus": "affected"
}
]
}
],
"published": "2025-11-12T22:15:45.960",
"references": [
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1cfb3e4ddbdc8e02e637b8852540bd4718bf4814",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
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{
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"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
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{
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"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
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{
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"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/79ea7f3e11effe1bd9e753172981d9029133a278",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ea39e712c2f5ae148ee5515798ae03523673e002",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}
],
"vulnStatus": "Deferred",
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\next4: guard against EA inode refcount underflow in xattr update\n\nsyzkaller found a path where ext4_xattr_inode_update_ref() reads an EA\ninode refcount that is already <= 0 and then applies ref_change (often\n-1). That lets the refcount underflow and we proceed with a bogus value,\ntriggering errors like:\n\n EXT4-fs error: EA inode <n> ref underflow: ref_count=-1 ref_change=-1\n EXT4-fs warning: ea_inode dec ref err=-117\n\nMake the invariant explicit: if the current refcount is non-positive,\ntreat this as on-disk corruption, emit ext4_error_inode(), and fail the\noperation with -EFSCORRUPTED instead of updating the refcount. Delete the\nWARN_ONCE() as negative refcounts are now impossible; keep error reporting\nin ext4_error_inode().\n\nThis prevents the underflow and the follow-on orphan/cleanup churn."
}
],
"lastModified": "2026-07-30T06:24:16.880",
"sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}