CVE-2026-74308

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's ext4 filesystem. When the data=journal mount option is enabled, the ext4_journalled_write_end() function can incorrectly attempt to write inline data. This occurs if a prior attempt to convert inline data to an extent failed, leading to an inconsistent state. An attacker with local access could exploit this to trigger a kernel bug, resulting in a system crash and a Denial of Service (DoS).

This vulnerability is rated as having a Low severity for Red Hat Enterprise Linux because exploitation requires a non-default mount configuration alongside constrained filesystem conditions, limiting exposure. Standard Red Hat deployments format and mount ext4 filesystems using the default data=ordered journaling mode rather than data=journal. Furthermore, triggering the crash requires authenticated local access to an ext4 partition with inline data enabled that has encountered an allocation failure when expanding file extents.

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.