CVE-2024-40972: Linux kernel · ext4: do not create EA inode under buffer lock
Source GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium.
Data as of 29 Oct 2026, 22:52 UTC
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 12 Jul 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 29 Oct 2026.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: do not create EA inode under buffer lock ext4_xattr_set_entry() creates new EA inodes while holding buffer lock on the external xattr block. This is problematic as it nests all the allocation locking (which acquires locks on other buffers) under the buffer lock. This can even deadlock when the filesystem is corrupted and e.g. quota file is setup to contain xattr block as data block. Move the allocation of EA inode out of ext4_xattr_set_entry() into the callers.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-40972 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0752e7fb549d90c33b4d4186f11cfd25a556d1dd (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0a46ef234756dca04623b7591e8ebb3440622f0b (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/111103907234bffd0a34fba070ad9367de058752 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/737fb7853acd5bc8984f6f42e4bfba3334be8ae1 (opens in a new tab)
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00001.html (opens in a new tab)