CVE-2026-80532
Received Received - Intake

XFS Filesystem Infinite Loop in Linux Kernel

Publication date: 2026-08-26

Last updated on: 2026-08-26

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfs: fix another iunlink infinite loop bug in online fsck xrep_iunlink_resolve_bucket is supposed to reconstruct as much of the incore prev and next unlinked list pointers based on what it finds on disk and in memory before we move on to relinking the truly lost inodes back into the unlinked list. However, it's still vulnerable to infinite loops that come in via the next_unlinked pointers. Fix this problem by remembering which inodes we've already seen and checking new agino pointers against that. If a bit is already set, either this is a loop or the inode has nonzero link count. We'll deal with the second case in a subsequent patch.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published
2026-08-26
Last Modified
2026-08-26
Generated
2026-08-26
AI Q&A
2026-08-26
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-80532
EUVD
EUVD-2026-66447

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
CWE Icon
KEV
KEV Icon
CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

AI Quick Actions

Instant insights powered by AI
Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a bug in the Linux kernel's XFS file system related to handling unlinked inodes. It involves an infinite loop in the online file system check (fsck) process during reconstruction of unlinked inode lists. The issue occurs when the system attempts to rebuild pointers for inodes marked as unlinked but encounters corrupted or circular references in the next_unlinked pointers.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the XFS filesystem in the Linux kernel and requires filesystem-level checks. Detection involves verifying XFS filesystem integrity using fsck.xfs or xfs_db tools. Run fsck.xfs on unmounted XFS filesystems to check for inconsistencies. For mounted filesystems, use xfs_admin or xfs_repair -n for a dry run. Check kernel logs for XFS-related errors or infinite loop warnings.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause the system to hang or become unresponsive during file system checks, particularly when running online fsck on an XFS file system. This may lead to extended downtime, data unavailability, or potential data corruption if the system is forced to reboot or terminate the process.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to a patched version that includes the fix for this XFS iunlink bug. If using a distribution kernel, apply vendor-provided updates. For custom kernels, apply the upstream patch resolving the infinite loop issue in xrep_iunlink_resolve_bucket. Ensure XFS filesystems are checked with fsck.xfs after updates.

Chat Assistant

Ask questions about this CVE
Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-80532. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.
0/70

EPSS Chart