Out-of-bounds Access Vulnerability in Linux Kernel's ext4 File System

CVE-2026-46094

What is CVE-2026-46094?

An out-of-bounds access vulnerability was identified in the Linux kernel's ext4 file system, specifically within the check_xattrs() function. This issue arose due to an improper bounds check for xattr entries, allowing the 'next' pointer to potentially reference memory beyond the valid range. If the pointer lands near the end of the valid xattr region, the subsequent read operation could exceed this region, leading to potential memory corruption. The patch corrects the bounds check to ensure safe memory access by ensuring adequate space for subsequent read operations.

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