Local kernel crash via malformed ext4 extents
Published Apr 28, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
Improper input validation in Linux ext4 allows local users to crash the kernel via reads of malformed extent metadata. The __ext4_ext_check() path accepts an extent header with zero eh_entries at positive depth, so ext4_ext_binsearch_idx() derives garbage indexes. Reaching the defect requires local access to a crafted ext4 filesystem image; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel BUG and host service interruption.
Summary
What happened
Improper input validation in Linux ext4 allows local users to crash the kernel via reads of malformed extent metadata. The __ext4_ext_check() path accepts an extent header with zero eh_entries at positive depth, so ext4_ext_binsearch_idx() derives garbage indexes. Reaching the defect requires local access to a crafted ext4 filesystem image; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel BUG and host service interruption.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-48631
- Published
- Apr 28, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 28, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=2.6.23
- Affected versionversion=c29c0ae7f282828da3695167ed870131798348d9 <29a5b8a137ac8eb410cc823653a29ac0e7b7e1b0
- Affected versionversion=c29c0ae7f282828da3695167ed870131798348d9 <2f5e9de15e4f55fbf56f22d4a2ce406246cc462d
- Affected versionversion=c29c0ae7f282828da3695167ed870131798348d9 <958b0ee23f5ac106e7cc11472b71aa2ea9a033bc
- Affected versionversion=c29c0ae7f282828da3695167ed870131798348d9 <bb7eb3ca4b3b0d2c7872cf1a41c30f5e5bd65df0
- Affected versionversion=c29c0ae7f282828da3695167ed870131798348d9 <be4df018c0be5ebecf1ca510feacc23be415cefc
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo