[PATCH v2] ext4: clear in-inode xattr space before adding the first xattr

[PATCH v2] ext4: clear in-inode xattr space before adding the first xattr

[Jiaming Zhang]

An inode can hold extended attributes in the space that follows its extra
fields, whose size is given by i_extra_isize.  When ext4 loads an inode,
ext4_iget_extra_inode() validates that space only if it starts with the
xattr magic, and only then sets EXT4_STATE_XATTR.  Without the magic, the
space is treated as empty and is not checked.

ext4_xattr_ibody_set() passes the space to ext4_xattr_set_entry() whether
or not EXT4_STATE_XATTR is set.  ext4_xattr_set_entry() walks the entries
there to find min_offs, the lowest value offset.  That offset decides
whether the new value fits and where the value is copied:

	free = min_offs - ((void *)last - s->base) - sizeof(__u32);
	...
	void *val = s->base + min_offs - new_size;

A crafted image can leave non-zero bytes in that space without the magic
where ext4 looks for it, for example by shrinking i_extra_isize.  Those
bytes are parsed as entries, and an entry that claims an in-inode value at
offset 0 sets min_offs to 0.  Because free is a size_t, the subtraction
then wraps around to a huge value, and the free space check passes although
the value does not fit.  The value is copied new_size bytes before the
start of the space, over the inode's own fields and, for a large value, the
memory in front of the inode.

On a kernel without KASAN, the copy corrupts memory: it overwrites the
inode's own fields and, for a large value, also the memory in front of the
inode.  The bytes and their length are decided by the setxattr() caller.
Nothing is freed and reused here, so the use-after-free in the report only
reflects where the write happened to land.

Triggering this issue requires mounting a crafted image, which needs
CAP_SYS_ADMIN or automounting of removable media; after that, any
setxattr() on the file reaches this path.  The issue was found by fuzzing
and has not been seen in production; a reproducer is available in the
linked report.

When EXT4_STATE_XATTR is not set, zero the first 32 bits of the space in
ext4_xattr_ibody_set() before calling ext4_xattr_set_entry().  These are
the bits IS_LAST_ENTRY() reads, so the space is treated as empty and the
walk stops before reading any stale entry.

Fixes: ac27a0ec112a ("[PATCH] ext4: initial copy of files from ext3")
Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/CANypQFZzxTAH=4QRRDoqH6VAw1daAq88NDWiQKoM7QTOnP40sg@mail.gmail.com/
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Assisted-by: Claude Code:claude-opus-5-5
Signed-off-by: Jiaming Zhang <r772577952@gmail.com>
---
Changes in v2:
- Zero only the first 32 bits space instead of the whole space.
- Add a comment above the check.
- v1: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20260916084723.877552-1-r772577952@gmail.com/

 fs/ext4/xattr.c | 8 ++++++++
 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+)

diff --git a/fs/ext4/xattr.c b/fs/ext4/xattr.c
index 5c310747b965..8e1fd26329d3 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/xattr.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/xattr.c
@@ -2274,6 +2274,14 @@ int ext4_xattr_ibody_set(handle_t *handle, struct inode *inode,
 		if (IS_ERR(ea_inode))
 			return PTR_ERR(ea_inode);
 	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Make sure xattr space is properly initialized so that
+	 * IS_LAST_ENTRY() returns true for its first entry
+	 */
+	if (!ext4_test_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_XATTR))
+		*(__u32 *)s->first = 0;
+
 	error = ext4_xattr_set_entry(i, s, handle, inode, ea_inode,
 				     false /* is_block */);
 	if (error) {
-- 
2.43.0

Re: [PATCH v2] ext4: clear in-inode xattr space before adding the first xattr

[sashiko-bot]

> An inode can hold extended attributes in the space that follows its extra
> fields, whose size is given by i_extra_isize.  When ext4 loads an inode,
> ext4_iget_extra_inode() validates that space only if it starts with the
> xattr magic, and only then sets EXT4_STATE_XATTR.  Without the magic, the
> space is treated as empty and is not checked.
> 
> ext4_xattr_ibody_set() passes the space to ext4_xattr_set_entry() whether
> or not EXT4_STATE_XATTR is set.  ext4_xattr_set_entry() walks the entries
> there to find min_offs, the lowest value offset.  That offset decides
> whether the new value fits and where the value is copied:
> 
> 	free = min_offs - ((void *)last - s->base) - sizeof(__u32);
> 	...
> 	void *val = s->base + min_offs - new_size;
> 
> [ ... ]
> Fixes: ac27a0ec112a ("[PATCH] ext4: initial copy of files from ext3")
> Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/CANypQFZzxTAH=4QRRDoqH6VAw1daAq88NDWiQKoM7QTOnP40sg@mail.gmail.com/
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Assisted-by: Claude Code:claude-opus-5-5
> Signed-off-by: Jiaming Zhang <r772577952@gmail.com>

Sashiko has reviewed this patch and found no issues.

-- 
Sashiko AI review · https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/20261021085635.3633692-1-r772577952@gmail.com?part=1

Re: [PATCH v2] ext4: clear in-inode xattr space before adding the first xattr

[Jan Kara]

On Wed 21-10-26 16:56:35, Jiaming Zhang wrote:
> An inode can hold extended attributes in the space that follows its extra
> fields, whose size is given by i_extra_isize.  When ext4 loads an inode,
> ext4_iget_extra_inode() validates that space only if it starts with the
> xattr magic, and only then sets EXT4_STATE_XATTR.  Without the magic, the
> space is treated as empty and is not checked.
> 
> ext4_xattr_ibody_set() passes the space to ext4_xattr_set_entry() whether
> or not EXT4_STATE_XATTR is set.  ext4_xattr_set_entry() walks the entries
> there to find min_offs, the lowest value offset.  That offset decides
> whether the new value fits and where the value is copied:
> 
> 	free = min_offs - ((void *)last - s->base) - sizeof(__u32);
> 	...
> 	void *val = s->base + min_offs - new_size;
> 
> A crafted image can leave non-zero bytes in that space without the magic
> where ext4 looks for it, for example by shrinking i_extra_isize.  Those
> bytes are parsed as entries, and an entry that claims an in-inode value at
> offset 0 sets min_offs to 0.  Because free is a size_t, the subtraction
> then wraps around to a huge value, and the free space check passes although
> the value does not fit.  The value is copied new_size bytes before the
> start of the space, over the inode's own fields and, for a large value, the
> memory in front of the inode.
> 
> On a kernel without KASAN, the copy corrupts memory: it overwrites the
> inode's own fields and, for a large value, also the memory in front of the
> inode.  The bytes and their length are decided by the setxattr() caller.
> Nothing is freed and reused here, so the use-after-free in the report only
> reflects where the write happened to land.
> 
> Triggering this issue requires mounting a crafted image, which needs
> CAP_SYS_ADMIN or automounting of removable media; after that, any
> setxattr() on the file reaches this path.  The issue was found by fuzzing
> and has not been seen in production; a reproducer is available in the
> linked report.
> 
> When EXT4_STATE_XATTR is not set, zero the first 32 bits of the space in
> ext4_xattr_ibody_set() before calling ext4_xattr_set_entry().  These are
> the bits IS_LAST_ENTRY() reads, so the space is treated as empty and the
> walk stops before reading any stale entry.
> 
> Fixes: ac27a0ec112a ("[PATCH] ext4: initial copy of files from ext3")
> Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/CANypQFZzxTAH=4QRRDoqH6VAw1daAq88NDWiQKoM7QTOnP40sg@mail.gmail.com/
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Assisted-by: Claude Code:claude-opus-5-5
> Signed-off-by: Jiaming Zhang <r772577952@gmail.com>

Looks good to me. Feel free to add:

Reviewed-by: Jan Kara <jack@suse.cz>

								Honza

> ---
> Changes in v2:
> - Zero only the first 32 bits space instead of the whole space.
> - Add a comment above the check.
> - v1: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20260916084723.877552-1-r772577952@gmail.com/
> 
>  fs/ext4/xattr.c | 8 ++++++++
>  1 file changed, 8 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/fs/ext4/xattr.c b/fs/ext4/xattr.c
> index 5c310747b965..8e1fd26329d3 100644
> --- a/fs/ext4/xattr.c
> +++ b/fs/ext4/xattr.c
> @@ -2274,6 +2274,14 @@ int ext4_xattr_ibody_set(handle_t *handle, struct inode *inode,
>  		if (IS_ERR(ea_inode))
>  			return PTR_ERR(ea_inode);
>  	}
> +
> +	/*
> +	 * Make sure xattr space is properly initialized so that
> +	 * IS_LAST_ENTRY() returns true for its first entry
> +	 */
> +	if (!ext4_test_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_XATTR))
> +		*(__u32 *)s->first = 0;
> +
>  	error = ext4_xattr_set_entry(i, s, handle, inode, ea_inode,
>  				     false /* is_block */);
>  	if (error) {
> -- 
> 2.43.0
> 
-- 
Jan Kara <jack@suse.com>
SUSE Labs, CR