published September 4, 2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ocfs2: fix missing metadata reservation for large xattrs
[BUG]
lsetxattr() panics the kernel when setting a large xattr value on a
fragmented filesystem where the file already has an external xattr
block.
[CAUSE]
ocfs2_calc_xattr_set_need() never reserves metadata blocks for a new
xattr value's extent tree when the file already has an external xattr
block. The not_found path leaves meta_add at zero, so meta_ac is NULL
when ocfs2_xattr_extend_allocation() runs.
A new value root has room for a single extent record. On a fragmented
filesystem, the allocator cannot satisfy the xattr value in one
contiguous run, so each non-contiguous run requires its own extent
record. When the value root's extent list is full and meta_ac is NULL,
ocfs2_add_clusters_in_btree() returns RESTART_META, and
ocfs2_xattr_extend_allocation() hits BUG_ON(why == RESTART_META).
[FIX]
The case where no xattr block exists yet already calls
ocfs2_extend_meta_needed(&def_xv.xv.xr_list) to reserve value tree
metadata. Add the same reservation to the case where an xattr block
already exists, making the two cases consistent.
Replace the BUG_ON with a -ENOSPC return so that if RESTART_META is
returned despite the reservation, the error propagates to userspace
instead of panicking the kernel.