---
id: CVE-2026-92494
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ext4: fix buffer_head leak in ext4_init_orphan_info

  ext4_init_orphan_info() reads orphan file blocks with ext4_bread()
  and stores the returned buffer_head in oi->of_bi…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ext4: fix buffer_head leak in ext4_init_orphan_info

  ext4_init_orphan_info() reads orphan file blocks with ext4_bread()
  and stores the returned buffer_head in oi->of_bi…
severity: medium
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 02f310fcf47fa9311d6ba2946a8d19e7d7d11f37 <
    a9a6ec1298f9bc134b2c5db27d25bb10603b7113
  - >-
    Linux >= 02f310fcf47fa9311d6ba2946a8d19e7d7d11f37 <
    35fc83c65faf7949f5701bb34b20f822560a7718
  - >-
    Linux >= 02f310fcf47fa9311d6ba2946a8d19e7d7d11f37 <
    74637f7fef030e5fb2e835b7dfeb05efdc48e0fe
  - >-
    Linux >= 02f310fcf47fa9311d6ba2946a8d19e7d7d11f37 <
    6ec53ccab0d691b3c73e03d930343ca45987e88d
  - >-
    Linux >= 02f310fcf47fa9311d6ba2946a8d19e7d7d11f37 <
    1399f102d8a1855c1a38506057306ec79d0787d9
  - >-
    Linux >= 02f310fcf47fa9311d6ba2946a8d19e7d7d11f37 <
    e1e342d9a561c016b8531ec1f4dcefaad9d64954
  - >-
    Linux >= 02f310fcf47fa9311d6ba2946a8d19e7d7d11f37 <
    05704335803b69c1bfa8637b7ada942bf2ee8a41
  - Linux 5.15
published: '2026-09-17'
updated: '2026-09-17'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-17T17:17:51.547'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-92494'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/05704335803b69c1bfa8637b7ada942bf2ee8a41'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1399f102d8a1855c1a38506057306ec79d0787d9'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/35fc83c65faf7949f5701bb34b20f822560a7718'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6ec53ccab0d691b3c73e03d930343ca45987e88d'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/74637f7fef030e5fb2e835b7dfeb05efdc48e0fe'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a9a6ec1298f9bc134b2c5db27d25bb10603b7113'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e1e342d9a561c016b8531ec1f4dcefaad9d64954'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-92494.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-92494'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2536620'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-92494'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-92494'
  - url: >-
      https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-92494.mbox
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
ingestedAt: '2026-09-17T16:21:47.784Z'
epss: 0.00205
epssPercentile: 0.09326
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cvssSource: vendor
cwe:
  - CWE-772
---

## Overview

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

ext4: fix buffer_head leak in ext4_init_orphan_info

ext4_init_orphan_info() reads orphan file blocks with ext4_bread()
and stores the returned buffer_head in oi->of_binfo[i].ob_bh.

If ext4_bread() succeeds but the orphan block magic or checksum
validation fails, the function jumps to out_free. However, the old
out_free loop starts releasing buffers from i - 1, so the current
buffer_head at index i is skipped.

This leaks the buffer_head reference obtained by ext4_bread() on the
bad magic and bad checksum error paths.

Fix this by tracking the number of successfully read buffer_heads and
releasing exactly those buffer_heads on the error path.

## Remediation

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

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Low · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 · updated 2026-09-23 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-92494.json)