Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: fix OOB read when...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ext4: fix OOB read when checking dotdot dir
Mounting a corrupted filesystem with directory which contains '.' dir
entry with rec_len == block size results in out-of-bounds read (later
on, when the corrupted directory is removed).
ext4_empty_dir() assumes every ext4 directory contains at least '.'
and '..' as directory entries in the first data block. It first loads
the '.' dir entry, performs sanity checks by calling ext4_check_dir_entry()
and then uses its rec_len member to compute the location of '..' dir
entry (in ext4_next_entry). It assumes the '..' dir entry fits into the
same data block.
If the rec_len of '.' is precisely one block (4KB), it slips through the
sanity checks (it is considered the last directory entry in the data
block) and leaves "struct ext4_dir_entry_2 *de" point exactly past the
memory slot allocated to the data block. The following call to
ext4_check_dir_entry() on new value of de then dereferences this pointer
which results in out-of-bounds mem access.
Fix this by extending __ext4_check_dir_entry() to check for '.' dir
entries that reach the end of data block. Make sure to ignore the phony
dir entries for checksum (by checking name_len for non-zero).
Note: This is reported by KASAN as use-after-free in case another
structure was recently freed from the slot past the bound, but it is
really an OOB read.
This issue was found by syzkaller tool.
Call Trace:
[ 38.594108] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __ext4_check_dir_entry+0x67e/0x710
[ 38.594649] Read of size 2 at addr ffff88802b41a004 by task syz-executor/5375
[ 38.595158]
[ 38.595288] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 5375 Comm: syz-executor Not tainted 6.14.0-rc7 #1
[ 38.595298] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.16.3-0-ga6ed6b701f0a-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014
[ 38.595304] Call Trace:
[ 38.595308]
[ 38.595311] dump_stack_lvl+0xa7/0xd0
[ 38.595325] print_address_description.constprop.0+0x2c/0x3f0
[ 38.595339] ? __ext4_check_dir_entry+0x67e/0x710
[ 38.595349] print_report+0xaa/0x250
[ 38.595359] ? __ext4_check_dir_entry+0x67e/0x710
[ 38.595368] ? kasan_addr_to_slab+0x9/0x90
[ 38.595378] kasan_report+0xab/0xe0
[ 38.595389] ? __ext4_check_dir_entry+0x67e/0x710
[ 38.595400] __ext4_check_dir_entry+0x67e/0x710
[ 38.595410] ext4_empty_dir+0x465/0x990
[ 38.595421] ? __pfx_ext4_empty_dir+0x10/0x10
[ 38.595432] ext4_rmdir.part.0+0x29a/0xd10
[ 38.595441] ? __dquot_initialize+0x2a7/0xbf0
[ 38.595455] ? __pfx_ext4_rmdir.part.0+0x10/0x10
[ 38.595464] ? __pfx___dquot_initialize+0x10/0x10
[ 38.595478] ? down_write+0xdb/0x140
[ 38.595487] ? __pfx_down_write+0x10/0x10
[ 38.595497] ext4_rmdir+0xee/0x140
[ 38.595506] vfs_rmdir+0x209/0x670
[ 38.595517] ? lookup_one_qstr_excl+0x3b/0x190
[ 38.595529] do_rmdir+0x363/0x3c0
[ 38.595537] ? __pfx_do_rmdir+0x10/0x10
[ 38.595544] ? strncpy_from_user+0x1ff/0x2e0
[ 38.595561] __x64_sys_unlinkat+0xf0/0x130
[ 38.595570] do_syscall_64+0x5b/0x180
[ 38.595583] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e
Impact
A read operation accesses a memory location beyond the intended buffer boundary. Typical impact: sensitive data disclosure or crash.
CVE-2025-37785 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-37785? CVE-2025-37785 is a high-severity out-of-bounds read vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet. A read operation accesses a memory location beyond the intended buffer boundary.
- How severe is CVE-2025-37785? CVE-2025-37785 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-37785? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-37785 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-37785 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-37785 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2025-37785 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.