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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-31450: Linux kernel · ext4: publish jinode after initialization

Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database

0
Authoritative record:CVE-2026-31450· High 8.8

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.8 High · patch available : patch Linux kernel soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:55 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
8.8High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 35% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 22 Apr 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq 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 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Ubuntu 25.10linuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux@6.17.0-40.40?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • 6.14.0-15.15 – 6.17.0-40.40
20 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 25.10linux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws@6.17.0-1019.19?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • 6.14.0-1005.5 – 6.17.0-1019.19
17 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 25.10linux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure@6.17.0-1020.20?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • 6.14.0-1004.4 – 6.17.0-1020.20
16 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 25.10linux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde@6.17.0-1017.17?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • 6.17.0-1003.3 – 6.17.0-1017.17
10 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 25.10linux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp@6.17.0-1020.22?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • 6.14.0-1006.6 – 6.17.0-1020.22
17 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 25.10linux-oraclepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-oracle@6.17.0-1018.18?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • 6.14.0-1005.5 – 6.17.0-1018.18
16 affected builds
Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

A patch is available and should be applied to affected Linux kernel versions to fix the improper initialization and publication of the jinode pointer. The fix ensures safe memory ordering and prevents kernel crashes. Users should update to the fixed kernel versions as provided by their Linux distribution vendors. No additional mitigation is required beyond applying the official fix.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ext4 filesystem code was resolved by ensuring proper initialization and publication of the jinode pointer after it is fully initialized. Previously, the jinode pointer could be observed as non-NULL before its internal inode structure was fully set up, leading to potential kernel crashes due to dereferencing uninitialized pointers. This flaw was fixed by changing the order of initialization and using memory barriers to safely publish the pointer. The vulnerability affects specific Linux kernel versions and has a high CVSS score indicating significant impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

References

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