CVE-2026-89649
Received Received - Intake

Buffer Overflow in Linux Kernel CephFS

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-89649, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-09-11

Last updated on: 2026-09-11

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ceph: bound xattr value length in __build_xattrs() __build_xattrs() decodes the MDS-supplied xattr blob one attribute at a time. For each attribute it reads a 32-bit name length, advances past the name bytes, reads a 32-bit value length, records the value pointer, and advances past the value bytes. The two length fields are read with ceph_decode_32_safe(), but the value bytes themselves are advanced over with a bare "p += len" and no ceph_decode_need() check that "len" bytes remain in the blob. For every attribute except the last, the next iteration's ceph_decode_32_safe() on the following name length implicitly verifies that the previous value did not run past the blob end. The final attribute has no successor, so its decoded value length is never checked against the blob bounds. A malicious or compromised metadata server can set the last attribute's value length larger than the bytes actually present in the blob. The blob is a dedicated kvmalloc() allocation sized to the wire length (ceph_buffer_new() in ceph_fill_inode()). __set_xattr() records the oversized length in xattr->val_len verbatim, and a later getxattr(2) runs memcpy(value, xattr->val, xattr->val_len) into a user-supplied buffer, copying bytes past the end of the allocation back to user space. Impact: a malicious metadata server discloses adjacent kernel heap bytes to a local user via getxattr(2) on a CephFS file. Add the missing ceph_decode_need() so an out-of-bounds value length on the final attribute fails the decode and returns -EIO instead of being stored.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-11
Last Modified
2026-09-11
Generated
2026-09-12
AI Q&A
2026-09-12
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
ceph ceph *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Ceph filesystem (CephFS) allows a malicious or compromised metadata server to set an oversized xattr value length for the last attribute in a blob. When a user calls getxattr(2) on a file, the kernel copies data from the xattr value into a user buffer using the oversized length, potentially disclosing adjacent kernel heap memory to the user.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's Ceph filesystem implementation and requires kernel-level inspection. There are no direct network detection commands. Check kernel logs for Ceph-related errors or monitor for unusual getxattr(2) system call patterns on CephFS files.

Impact Analysis

If you are a user of a system running a vulnerable Linux kernel with CephFS, an attacker with access to the metadata server could exploit this to read sensitive kernel memory. This could lead to information disclosure, privilege escalation, or other security issues depending on what data is exposed in the kernel heap.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data, which may violate compliance requirements under GDPR (data protection) or HIPAA (health information privacy). Organizations using CephFS in regulated environments must address this to maintain compliance.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest Linux kernel security patches that address this issue. If using a Ceph client, ensure your kernel version includes the fix for CVE-2026-89649. Avoid using untrusted Ceph metadata servers until patched.

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