Inode update loss via premature metadata synchronization
Published Sep 11, 2026 · Updated Sep 11, 2026
Data-integrity loss in Linux before 7.2.4 allows local users to lose ext2 inode updates during synchronous metadata changes. ext2_setsize() and ext2_xattr_set2() called sync_inode_metadata() before marking a clean inode dirty, so the synchronization path had nothing to write and silently dropped the pending inode change. Reachability requires an ext2 inode with synchronous-update behavior, such as a file opened with O_SYNC, a file marked with chattr +S, or an ext2 filesystem mounted with sync; the bounded consequence is loss of inode metadata persistence.
Summary
What happened
Data-integrity loss in Linux before 7.2.4 allows local users to lose ext2 inode updates during synchronous metadata changes. ext2_setsize() and ext2_xattr_set2() called sync_inode_metadata() before marking a clean inode dirty, so the synchronization path had nothing to write and silently dropped the pending inode change. Reachability requires an ext2 inode with synchronous-update behavior, such as a file opened with O_SYNC, a file marked with chattr +S, or an ext2 filesystem mounted with sync; the bounded consequence is loss of inode metadata persistence.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-89601
- Published
- Sep 11, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 11, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 11, 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 <7.2.4
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <356984d1a5c32e94810cbb6c8dc7d8ff2d4d919a
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <5efb3350230fef831167740e69e6db2861101186
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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