---
id: CVE-2026-46046
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ext4: fix missing brelse() in ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all()

  The commit c8e008b60492 ("ext4: ignore xattrs past end")
  introduced a refcount leak in when block_csum is …
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ext4: fix missing brelse() in ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all()

  The commit c8e008b60492 ("ext4: ignore xattrs past end")
  introduced a refcount leak in when block_csum is …
severity: medium
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
vendor: linux
product: linux_kernel
affected:
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.4.293, < 5.5'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.10.237, < 5.10.258'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.15.181, < 5.15.209'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.1.135, < 6.1.175'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.6.88, < 6.6.140'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.12.24, < 6.12.86'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.13.12, < 6.14'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.14.3, < 6.18.27'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.19, < 7.0.4'
patched:
  - linux_kernel 7.0.4
published: '2026-05-27'
updated: '2026-09-08'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-08T09:18:07.223'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46046'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/097227f1ffe1a85bc3c359f81c71e3d40e06e920'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/153ab2c52355fbebcae622db8e7b506492c73a29'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1bc1107a3a403a6d440673ed6666f7b07ef868a8'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1e6b0a69bf2c9c819255c7566e4355536d81d9cf'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/77d059519382bd66283e6a4e83ee186e87e7708f'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b706d00206a9e82362a9633efbd8b5775650169b'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dd98a5603a212ea9c96c6982ccdbcc748fdb9a56'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f072906688933bf47fabbaf63560be03357c8298'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-019113.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00125
epssPercentile: 0.02562
ingestedAt: '2026-09-08T13:33:24.391Z'
---

## Overview

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

ext4: fix missing brelse() in ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all()

The commit c8e008b60492 ("ext4: ignore xattrs past end")
introduced a refcount leak in when block_csum is false.

ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all() calls ext4_get_inode_loc() to
get iloc.bh, but never releases it with brelse().

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 5.4.293, < 5.5`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.10.237, < 5.10.258`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.15.181, < 5.15.209`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.1.135, < 6.1.175`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.6.88, < 6.6.140`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.12.24, < 6.12.86`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.13.12, < 6.14`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.14.3, < 6.18.27`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.19, < 7.0.4`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `linux_kernel 7.0.4`