Local stale-data disclosure via failed extent split
Published May 27, 2026 · Updated May 27, 2026
Stale-data exposure in Linux Kernel ext4 allows local users to read prior block contents when a large unwritten extent is split. The ext4_split_extent() path marks the entire extent written after ext4_split_extent_at() cannot split at the second boundary, leaving the prefix backed by stale disk data. Triggering requires low local privileges, an ext4 operation that splits a large unwritten extent, and temporary space exhaustion during the first split.
Summary
What happened
Stale-data exposure in Linux Kernel ext4 allows local users to read prior block contents when a large unwritten extent is split. The ext4_split_extent() path marks the entire extent written after ext4_split_extent_at() cannot split at the second boundary, leaving the prefix backed by stale disk data. Triggering requires low local privileges, an ext4 operation that splits a large unwritten extent, and temporary space exhaustion during the first split.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-45858
- Published
- May 27, 2026
- Updated
- May 27, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- T1005
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 27, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 27, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <6.12.75
- Affected versionversion=0 <6.18.14
- Affected versionversion=0 <6.19.4
- Affected versionversion=0 <6.6.130
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1bf6974822d1dba86cf11b5f05498581cf3488a2
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <58ddae5d77b1db3a27b891c75a8fa120239ac092
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7015fcf473796e1d2d876f241bd9e0c36f3d4eef
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <d17857b4fb9ba5745b59be0ef38fd532991fccbf
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <d67c8ecf3d8fda9b8ef80e6f665d84b6d6ac9d88
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Technologies
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