Upstream information

CVE-2025-71069 at MITRE

Description

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

f2fs: invalidate dentry cache on failed whiteout creation

F2FS can mount filesystems with corrupted directory depth values that
get runtime-clamped to MAX_DIR_HASH_DEPTH. When RENAME_WHITEOUT
operations are performed on such directories, f2fs_rename performs
directory modifications (updating target entry and deleting source
entry) before attempting to add the whiteout entry via f2fs_add_link.

If f2fs_add_link fails due to the corrupted directory structure, the
function returns an error to VFS, but the partial directory
modifications have already been committed to disk. VFS assumes the
entire rename operation failed and does not update the dentry cache,
leaving stale mappings.

In the error path, VFS does not call d_move() to update the dentry
cache. This results in new_dentry still pointing to the old inode
(new_inode) which has already had its i_nlink decremented to zero.
The stale cache causes subsequent operations to incorrectly reference
the freed inode.

This causes subsequent operations to use cached dentry information that
no longer matches the on-disk state. When a second rename targets the
same entry, VFS attempts to decrement i_nlink on the stale inode, which
may already have i_nlink=0, triggering a WARNING in drop_nlink().

Example sequence:
1. First rename (RENAME_WHITEOUT): file2 -> file1
- f2fs updates file1 entry on disk (points to inode 8)
- f2fs deletes file2 entry on disk
- f2fs_add_link(whiteout) fails (corrupted directory)
- Returns error to VFS
- VFS does not call d_move() due to error
- VFS cache still has: file1 -> inode 7 (stale!)
- inode 7 has i_nlink=0 (already decremented)

2. Second rename: file3 -> file1
- VFS uses stale cache: file1 -> inode 7
- Tries to drop_nlink on inode 7 (i_nlink already 0)
- WARNING in drop_nlink()

Fix this by explicitly invalidating old_dentry and new_dentry when
f2fs_add_link fails during whiteout creation. This forces VFS to
refresh from disk on subsequent operations, ensuring cache consistency
even when the rename partially succeeds.

Reproducer:
1. Mount F2FS image with corrupted i_current_depth
2. renameat2(file2, file1, RENAME_WHITEOUT)
3. renameat2(file3, file1, 0)
4. System triggers WARNING in drop_nlink()

SUSE information

Overall state of this security issue: Pending

This issue is currently rated as having moderate severity.

CVSS v3 Scores
CVSS detail SUSE
Base Score 5.5
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attack Vector Local
Attack Complexity Low
Privileges Required Low
User Interaction None
Scope Unchanged
Confidentiality Impact None
Integrity Impact None
Availability Impact High
CVSSv3 Version 3.1

Note from the SUSE Security Team on the kernel-default package

SUSE will no longer fix all CVEs in the Linux Kernel anymore, but declare some bug classes as won't fix. Please refer to TID 21496 for more details.

SUSE Bugzilla entry: 1256635 [NEW]

No SUSE Security Announcements cross referenced.


Status of this issue by product and package

Please note that this evaluation state might be work in progress, incomplete or outdated. Also information for service packs in the LTSS phase is only included for issues meeting the LTSS criteria. If in doubt, feel free to contact us for clarification. The updates are grouped by state of their lifecycle. SUSE product lifecycles are documented on the lifecycle page.

Product(s) Source package State
Products under general support and receiving all security fixes.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 16.0 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 16.0 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 kernel-source-azure Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 kernel-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 kernel-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 kernel-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy 15 SP7 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy 15 SP7 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 15 SP7 kernel-source-azure Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP7 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP7 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP7 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP7 kernel-source-azure Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16.0 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16.0 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16.0 kernel-source-azure Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP7 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP7 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP7 kernel-source-azure Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications 16.0 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications 16.0 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications 16.0 kernel-source-azure Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP7 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP7 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Micro 6.0 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Micro 6.0 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Micro 6.0 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Micro 6.1 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Micro 6.1 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Micro 6.1 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Micro 6.2 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Micro 6.2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP7 kernel-source-rt Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.6 kernel-default Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.6 kernel-source Affected
Products under Long Term Service Pack support and receiving important and critical security fixes.
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 12 SP5 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 12 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP4 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP5 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4 LTSS EXTREME CORE kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4 LTSS EXTREME CORE kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS Extended Security kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS Extended Security kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP6-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP6-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server LTSS Extended Security 12 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP6 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Proxy 4.3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Proxy LTS 4.3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server LTS 4.3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Server 4.3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Server LTS 4.3 kernel-source Affected
Products past their end of life and not receiving proactive updates anymore.
SUSE CaaS Platform 4.0 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Enterprise Storage 6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Enterprise Storage 7 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Enterprise Storage 7.1 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 SP4 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP1 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP6 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-ESPOS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2-ESPOS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-ESPOS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-ESPOS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-ESPOS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP6 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.0 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.1 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.1 kernel-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.1 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP1 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP1 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 12 SP2-CLIENT kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP3 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP4 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP5 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4-LTSS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-BCL kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-ESPOS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4-ESPOS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-BCL kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-BCL kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3-BCL kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP6 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for Raspberry Pi 12 SP2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP1 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP4 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP5 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Proxy 4.0 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Proxy 4.1 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Proxy 4.2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.0 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.1 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Server 4.0 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Server 4.1 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Server 4.2 kernel-source Affected
SUSE OpenStack Cloud 7 kernel-source Affected
SUSE OpenStack Cloud 9 kernel-source Affected
SUSE OpenStack Cloud Crowbar 9 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP3 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP4 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP5 kernel-source-rt Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.3 kernel-source Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.3 kernel-source-rt Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.4 kernel-source Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.4 kernel-source-rt Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.5 kernel-source Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.5 kernel-source-rt Affected


SUSE Timeline for this CVE

CVE page created: Tue Jan 13 18:04:41 2026
CVE page last modified: Fri Jan 23 13:25:51 2026