ext4: Incorrect Used Inodes Report False Positive

Kernel Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

31/05/2021

Disclosed on

N/A

Severity

No i

Fix available

Unrated

Severity

Not published

CVSS Score

GSD-2021-1000138: ext4: fix check to prevent false positive report of incorrect used inodes. Affects Kernel versions >= 5012284700775a4e6e3fbe7eac4c543c4874b559, < 098b257563b959f4ca6c1d82fde0ee727792cb19. No fix is published. How to fix ↓

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Background

The ext4 package is a file system driver for the Linux kernel. It provides support for the fourth extended file system (ext4), which is commonly used in Linux distributions. The ext4 file system offers improved performance, scalability, and reliability compared to its predecessors. However, a vulnerability has been discovered in the ext4 driver that can lead to false positive reports of incorrect used inodes.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability in the ext4 driver occurs due to a check that can produce false positive reports of incorrect used inodes. This means that the driver may incorrectly indicate that certain inodes are being used when they are not. While the impact and attack plausibility of this vulnerability have not been proven, it could potentially lead to incorrect file system usage statistics and mismanagement of inodes. This vulnerability was introduced in version v4.18 of the Linux Kernel and has been fixed in version v5.10.36.

How To Fix

No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.

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Workaround

There is no specific workaround mentioned for this vulnerability.

Conclusion

The ext4 driver in the Linux Kernel has a vulnerability that can produce false positive reports of incorrect used inodes. This can lead to incorrect file system usage statistics and mismanagement of inodes. It is recommended to update the Linux Kernel to version v5.10.36 or later to fix this vulnerability. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

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