Out of Bounds Vulnerability in Linux Kernel ext4 Filesystem

CVE-2025-38221

What is CVE-2025-38221?

A vulnerability in the ext4 filesystem of the Linux kernel allows for out of bounds access when attempting to punch a hole with a starting offset that exceeds the maximum end value. This situation can lead to a negative length error during the truncate_inode_partial_folio() function execution while managing the page cache, causing potential system instability. To mitigate this issue, it is essential to filter out scenarios where the punch start offset exceeds the maximum permissible end value.

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