Kernel Panic Vulnerability in Linux Kernel Affecting File Systems

CVE-2025-40196

What is CVE-2025-40196?

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel can lead to kernel panic situations, particularly in scenarios involving file system quota handling. This panic occurs when a sync call is triggered for an opened file, initiating a writeback process. The issue arises from a mismatch of queue flags, leading to a failure in flushing the quota_release_work. The patch introduces a dedicated workqueue with the appropriate WQ_MEM_RECLAIM flag to resolve the issue, preventing unnecessary kernel panic caused by quota-related operations.

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