# CVE-2022-50346: ext4: init quota for 'old.inode' in 'ext4_rename'

> A missing quota initialization in the Linux kernel ext4 filesystem can cause a kernel warning and potential denial of service during file rename operations.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 16 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-50346, GHSA-j3gp-gm3j-39rf, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-50346

## What is CVE-2022-50346?

CVE-2022-50346 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 Sep 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

ext4: init quota for 'old.inode' in 'ext4_rename'

Syzbot found the following issue:
ext4_parse_param: s_want_extra_isize=128
ext4_inode_info_init: s_want_extra_isize=32
ext4_rename: old.inode=ffff88823869a2c8 old.dir=ffff888238699828 new.inode=ffff88823869d7e8 new.dir=ffff888238699828
__ext4_mark_inode_dirty: inode=ffff888238699828 ea_isize=32 want_ea_size=128
__ext4_mark_inode_dirty: inode=ffff88823869a2c8 ea_isize=32 want_ea_size=128
ext4_xattr_block_set: inode=ffff88823869a2c8
------------[ cut here ]------------
WARNING: CPU: 13 PID: 2234 at fs/ext4/xattr.c:2070 ext4_xattr_block_set.cold+0x22/0x980
Modules linked in:
RIP: 0010:ext4_xattr_block_set.cold+0x22/0x980
RSP: 0018:ffff888227d3f3b0 EFLAGS: 00010202
RAX: 0000000000000001 RBX: ffff88823007a000 RCX: 0000000000000000
RDX: 0000000000000a03 RSI: 0000000000000040 RDI: ffff888230078178
RBP: 0000000000000000 R08: 000000000000002c R09: ffffed1075c7df8e
R10: ffff8883ae3efc6b R11: ffffed1075c7df8d R12: 0000000000000000
R13: ffff88823869a2c8 R14: ffff8881012e0460 R15: dffffc0000000000
FS:  00007f350ac1f740(0000) GS:ffff8883ae200000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
CS:  0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
CR2: 00007f350a6ed6a0 CR3: 0000000237456000 CR4: 00000000000006e0
DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000
DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400
Call Trace:
 <TASK>
 ? ext4_xattr_set_entry+0x3b7/0x2320
 ? ext4_xattr_block_set+0x0/0x2020
 ? ext4_xattr_set_entry+0x0/0x2320
 ? ext4_xattr_check_entries+0x77/0x310
 ? ext4_xattr_ibody_set+0x23b/0x340
 ext4_xattr_move_to_block+0x594/0x720
 ext4_expand_extra_isize_ea+0x59a/0x10f0
 __ext4_expand_extra_isize+0x278/0x3f0
 __ext4_mark_inode_dirty.cold+0x347/0x410
 ext4_rename+0xed3/0x174f
 vfs_rename+0x13a7/0x2510
 do_renameat2+0x55d/0x920
 __x64_sys_rename+0x7d/0xb0
 do_syscall_64+0x3b/0xa0
 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc

As 'ext4_rename' will modify 'old.inode' ctime and mark inode dirty,
which may trigger expand 'extra_isize' and allocate block. If inode
didn't init quota will lead to warning.  To solve above issue, init
'old.inode' firstly in 'ext4_rename'.

Weakness: CWE-908 (Use of Uninitialized Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-50346?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-50346?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-50346 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-50346 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-50346 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-50346 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 Sep 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-50346 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50346/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50346/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-50346
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-50346
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-50346

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-50346/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.