Filesystem warnings via stale writeback tags
Published Sep 17, 2026 · Updated Sep 17, 2026
Stale writeback tags in Linux 6.2 ext4 allow local users to trigger warnings via writes followed by a read-only remount. The mpage_prepare_extent_to_map function skips clean folios without clearing their xarray dirty and towrite tags, allowing later writeback to attempt journal operations on a read-only filesystem. Reproduction requires data=journal mode and reboot timing; the report documents warnings, including a data-loss warning, but does not demonstrate actual data loss or a crash.
Summary
What happened
Stale writeback tags in Linux 6.2 ext4 allow local users to trigger warnings via writes followed by a read-only remount. The mpage_prepare_extent_to_map function skips clean folios without clearing their xarray dirty and towrite tags, allowing later writeback to attempt journal operations on a read-only filesystem. Reproduction requires data=journal mode and reboot timing; the report documents warnings, including a data-loss warning, but does not demonstrate actual data loss or a crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-92502
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 17, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 17, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 17, 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=6.2
- Affected versionversion=dff4ac75eeeefc4397fe7cf8ce559425bf46b1f7 <43ae387c3ae6a11227d096669ddf883e27a39a11
- Affected versionversion=dff4ac75eeeefc4397fe7cf8ce559425bf46b1f7 <a450ab88bfd57b227d72c7a3faad54d16c3fc099
- Affected versionversion=dff4ac75eeeefc4397fe7cf8ce559425bf46b1f7 <aa0042630b1f7cab735b0a168539281198822586
- Affected versionversion=dff4ac75eeeefc4397fe7cf8ce559425bf46b1f7 <ec524aae479b4b2078c47492b90ec21200bce434
- Affected versionversion=dff4ac75eeeefc4397fe7cf8ce559425bf46b1f7 <f82a4929d0ef7ddf254c1c295ec1dfd24094f2de
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.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
- Upstream fio and reboot reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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