# CVE-2026-63811: f2fs: read COW data with the original inode during atomic write

> A null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel f2fs filesystem allows local attackers to cause a system crash during atomic writes with encryption.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **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:** 19 Jul 2026
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-63811, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-63811, GHSA-wqxg-ff3c-39jf, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-63811

## What is CVE-2026-63811?

CVE-2026-63811 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 19 Jul 2026. 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:

f2fs: read COW data with the original inode during atomic write

When updating an atomic-write file, f2fs_write_begin() may read the
previously written data back from the COW inode:
prepare_atomic_write_begin() locates the block in the COW inode and sets
use_cow, and the read bio is then built with the COW inode:

	f2fs_submit_page_read(use_cow ? F2FS_I(inode)->cow_inode : inode,
			      ...);

and f2fs_grab_read_bio() decides whether to schedule fs-layer decryption
(STEP_DECRYPT) for the bio based on that inode via
fscrypt_inode_uses_fs_layer_crypto().

However, the folio being filled belongs to the original inode
(folio->mapping->host == inode), and the data stored in the COW block was
encrypted (or left as plaintext) using the original inode's context, not
the COW inode's -- see f2fs_encrypt_one_page(), which keys off
fio->page->mapping->host.  fscrypt_decrypt_pagecache_blocks() likewise
operates on folio->mapping->host.

The COW inode is created as a tmpfile in the parent directory and inherits
its encryption policy from there.  With test_dummy_encryption the newly
created COW inode gets the dummy policy and becomes encrypted, while a
pre-existing regular file -- created before the policy applied, e.g.
already present in the on-disk image -- stays unencrypted.  The read
path then sets STEP_DECRYPT based on the encrypted COW inode and calls
fscrypt_decrypt_pagecache_blocks() on a folio whose host (the unencrypted
original inode) has a NULL ->i_crypt_info, dereferencing it:

  Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address ...
  KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000008-0x000000000000000f]
  RIP: 0010:fscrypt_decrypt_pagecache_blocks+0xa0/0x310
  Workqueue: f2fs_post_read_wq f2fs_post_read_work
  Call Trace:
   fscrypt_decrypt_bio+0x1eb/0x340
   f2fs_post_read_work+0xba/0x140
   process_one_work+0x91c/0x1a40
   worker_thread+0x677/0xe90
   kthread+0x2bc/0x3a0

The COW inode is only needed to locate the on-disk block, and that block
address is already resolved into @blkaddr by prepare_atomic_write_begin()
via __find_data_block(cow_inode, ...); f2fs_submit_page_read() then reads
from that physical @blkaddr directly, so the inode argument only selects
the post-read crypto context, not which block is fetched.  Reading with
@inode therefore returns the same (latest, not-yet-committed) COW data,
while making both the fs-layer decryption decision and the inline crypto
path use the correct (original inode's) key.

With the COW inode no longer used at the read site, the use_cow flag has no
remaining consumer; drop it from f2fs_write_begin() and
prepare_atomic_write_begin().

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-63811?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-63811?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-63811 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-63811 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-63811 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-63811 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 19 Jul 2026. 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-2026-63811 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2026-63811/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-63811/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-63811
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-63811
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-63811

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-63811/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.