CVE-2025-68820

A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability was found in the Linux kernel's ext4 filesystem extended attribute handling. When ext4_get_inode_loc() fails with an error such as -EFSCORRUPTED, the iloc.bh buffer head remains NULL. The ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all() function lacks error checking and proceeds to call ext4_raw_inode() with the NULL buffer, causing a kernel crash.

This vulnerability was discovered by the Linux Verification Center using SVACE static analysis. It affects ext4 filesystems when processing extended attributes on corrupted inodes. The crash can be triggered by mounting a specially crafted or corrupted ext4 filesystem image. Normal filesystem operations on healthy filesystems are not affected.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.