---
id: CVE-2025-68820
title: 'ext4: xattr: fix null pointer deref in ext4_raw_inode()'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ext4: xattr: fix null pointer deref in ext4_raw_inode()

  If ext4_get_inode_loc() fails (e.g. if it returns -EFSCORRUPTED),
  iloc.bh will remain set to NULL. Since ext4_x…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 76c365fa7e2a8bb85f0190cdb4b8cdc99b2fdce3 <
    b72a3476f0c97d02f63a6e9fff127348d55436f6
  - >-
    Linux >= f737418b6de31c962c7192777ee4018906975383 <
    3d8d22e75f7edfa0b30ff27330fd6a1285d594c3
  - >-
    Linux >= cf9291a3449b04688b81e32621e88de8f4314b54 <
    190ad0f22ba49f1101182b80e3af50ca2ddfe72f
  - >-
    Linux >= 362a90cecd36e8a5c415966d0b75b04a0270e4dd <
    b5d942922182e82724b7152cb998f540132885ec
  - >-
    Linux >= eb59cc31b6ea076021d14b04e7faab1636b87d0e <
    5b154e901fda2e98570b8f426a481f5740097dc2
  - >-
    Linux >= c8e008b60492cf6fd31ef127aea6d02fd3d314cd <
    ce5f54c065a4a7cbb92787f4f140917112350142
  - >-
    Linux >= c8e008b60492cf6fd31ef127aea6d02fd3d314cd <
    b97cb7d6a051aa6ebd57906df0e26e9e36c26d14
  - Linux 6aff941cb0f7d0c897c3698ad2e30672709135e3
  - Linux 3bc6317033f365ce578eb6039445fb66162722fd
  - Linux 836e625b03a666cf93ff5be328c8cb30336db872
  - Linux >= 5.10.237 < 5.10.248
  - Linux >= 5.15.181 < 5.15.198
  - Linux >= 6.1.135 < 6.1.160
  - Linux >= 6.6.88 < 6.6.120
  - Linux >= 6.12.24 < 6.12.64
  - Linux >= 5.4.293 < 5.5
  - Linux >= 6.13.12 < 6.14
  - Linux >= 6.14.3 < 6.15
  - Linux 6.15
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-06-16T16:55:32.991979Z'
published: '2026-01-13'
updated: '2026-09-08'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-08T08:43:39.059Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-68820'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b72a3476f0c97d02f63a6e9fff127348d55436f6'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3d8d22e75f7edfa0b30ff27330fd6a1285d594c3'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/190ad0f22ba49f1101182b80e3af50ca2ddfe72f'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b5d942922182e82724b7152cb998f540132885ec'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b154e901fda2e98570b8f426a481f5740097dc2'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ce5f54c065a4a7cbb92787f4f140917112350142'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b97cb7d6a051aa6ebd57906df0e26e9e36c26d14'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00207
epssPercentile: 0.09539
ingestedAt: '2026-09-08T15:33:26.995Z'
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ext4: xattr: fix null pointer deref in ext4_raw_inode()

If ext4_get_inode_loc() fails (e.g. if it returns -EFSCORRUPTED),
iloc.bh will remain set to NULL. Since ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all()
lacks error checking, this will lead to a null pointer dereference
in ext4_raw_inode(), called right after ext4_get_inode_loc().

Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with SVACE.

## Affected

- `Linux >= 76c365fa7e2a8bb85f0190cdb4b8cdc99b2fdce3 < b72a3476f0c97d02f63a6e9fff127348d55436f6`
- `Linux >= f737418b6de31c962c7192777ee4018906975383 < 3d8d22e75f7edfa0b30ff27330fd6a1285d594c3`
- `Linux >= cf9291a3449b04688b81e32621e88de8f4314b54 < 190ad0f22ba49f1101182b80e3af50ca2ddfe72f`
- `Linux >= 362a90cecd36e8a5c415966d0b75b04a0270e4dd < b5d942922182e82724b7152cb998f540132885ec`
- `Linux >= eb59cc31b6ea076021d14b04e7faab1636b87d0e < 5b154e901fda2e98570b8f426a481f5740097dc2`
- `Linux >= c8e008b60492cf6fd31ef127aea6d02fd3d314cd < ce5f54c065a4a7cbb92787f4f140917112350142`
- `Linux >= c8e008b60492cf6fd31ef127aea6d02fd3d314cd < b97cb7d6a051aa6ebd57906df0e26e9e36c26d14`
- `Linux 6aff941cb0f7d0c897c3698ad2e30672709135e3`
- `Linux 3bc6317033f365ce578eb6039445fb66162722fd`
- `Linux 836e625b03a666cf93ff5be328c8cb30336db872`
- `Linux >= 5.10.237 < 5.10.248`
- `Linux >= 5.15.181 < 5.15.198`
- `Linux >= 6.1.135 < 6.1.160`
- `Linux >= 6.6.88 < 6.6.120`
- `Linux >= 6.12.24 < 6.12.64`
- `Linux >= 5.4.293 < 5.5`
- `Linux >= 6.13.12 < 6.14`
- `Linux >= 6.14.3 < 6.15`
- `Linux 6.15`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.