# CVE-2025-22121: ext4: fix out-of-bound read in ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all()

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel ext4 filesystem allows attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially disclose memory contents.

- **Severity:** High 8.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 16 Apr 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-62660, AZL-69608, BELL-CVE-2025-22121, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-22121, GHSA-xmgf-j324-j5xq, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-22121, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-22121, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2025-22121, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-22121, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-22121, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-22121

## What is CVE-2025-22121?

CVE-2025-22121 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 Apr 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: fix out-of-bound read in ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all()

There's issue as follows:
BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all+0x6ff/0x790
Read of size 4 at addr ffff88807b003000 by task syz-executor.0/15172

CPU: 3 PID: 15172 Comm: syz-executor.0
Call Trace:
 __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:82 [inline]
 dump_stack+0xbe/0xfd lib/dump_stack.c:123
 print_address_description.constprop.0+0x1e/0x280 mm/kasan/report.c:400
 __kasan_report.cold+0x6c/0x84 mm/kasan/report.c:560
 kasan_report+0x3a/0x50 mm/kasan/report.c:585
 ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all+0x6ff/0x790 fs/ext4/xattr.c:1137
 ext4_xattr_delete_inode+0x4c7/0xda0 fs/ext4/xattr.c:2896
 ext4_evict_inode+0xb3b/0x1670 fs/ext4/inode.c:323
 evict+0x39f/0x880 fs/inode.c:622
 iput_final fs/inode.c:1746 [inline]
 iput fs/inode.c:1772 [inline]
 iput+0x525/0x6c0 fs/inode.c:1758
 ext4_orphan_cleanup fs/ext4/super.c:3298 [inline]
 ext4_fill_super+0x8c57/0xba40 fs/ext4/super.c:5300
 mount_bdev+0x355/0x410 fs/super.c:1446
 legacy_get_tree+0xfe/0x220 fs/fs_context.c:611
 vfs_get_tree+0x8d/0x2f0 fs/super.c:1576
 do_new_mount fs/namespace.c:2983 [inline]
 path_mount+0x119a/0x1ad0 fs/namespace.c:3316
 do_mount+0xfc/0x110 fs/namespace.c:3329
 __do_sys_mount fs/namespace.c:3540 [inline]
 __se_sys_mount+0x219/0x2e0 fs/namespace.c:3514
 do_syscall_64+0x33/0x40 arch/x86/entry/common.c:46
 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x67/0xd1

Memory state around the buggy address:
 ffff88807b002f00: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
 ffff88807b002f80: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
>ffff88807b003000: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
                   ^
 ffff88807b003080: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
 ffff88807b003100: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff

Above issue happens as ext4_xattr_delete_inode() isn't check xattr
is valid if xattr is in inode.
To solve above issue call xattr_check_inode() check if xattr if valid
in inode. In fact, we can directly verify in ext4_iget_extra_inode(),
so that there is no divergent verification.

Weakness: CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-22121?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-22121?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-22121 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-22121 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-2025-22121 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-22121 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 Apr 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-2025-22121 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-2025-22121/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-22121/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-22121
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-22121
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-22121

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-22121/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.