File System Vulnerability in Linux Kernel: XFS Affected by Metadata Handling Issues

CVE-2026-43053

What is CVE-2026-43053?

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's XFS file system can lead to metadata corruption due to improper handling of metadata during inode inactivation. When an inode with extended attributes is inactivated, there exists a flaw where child blocks, after they are invalidated, remain linked in the parent node without being cleared. This can result in a situation where a log shutdown occurs between the cancellation of leaf/node blocks and the truncation of the attribute bitmap, leading to potential stale metadata that can cause verification failures upon recovery. The issue highlights the importance of synchronizing the removal of pointers in metadata operations to prevent corruption in file system integrity.

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