Directory Offset Vulnerability in Linux Kernel

CVE-2024-57952

Summary

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's handling of directory offsets can lead to the permanent disappearance of directory entries in specific scenarios. This occurs when the offset allocator wraps around on 32-bit platforms, resulting in the readdir(3) function's inability to list existing entries due to improper comparison logic introduced in a prior commit. The fix involves reverting a previous change to ensure proper handling of directory offsets on all architectures, particularly to prevent this issue from affecting older and low-capacity systems.

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