CVE-2026-97546
Received Received - Intake

XFS Filesystem Directory Entry Handling Infinite Loop

Publication date: 2026-09-25

Last updated on: 2026-09-25

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfs: don't spin forever on zero-length dirents when salvaging them LOLLM noticed that xrep_dir_recover_data can spin forever if it encounters an unused dirent that claims to have length zero. Fix that, and prevent the same thing from happening with a zero-length entry.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-25
Last Modified
2026-09-25
Generated
2026-09-25
AI Q&A
2026-09-25
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-97546
EUVD
EUVD-2026-86854

Affected Vendors & Products

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

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Exploitability

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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a situation where the system can get stuck in an infinite loop while trying to recover corrupted directory entries in the XFS file system. Specifically, if the system encounters a directory entry that claims to have zero length but is marked as unused, it may spin indefinitely during the recovery process.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's XFS filesystem and does not have network-based detection methods. To detect it, check your kernel version and XFS filesystem logs for errors related to directory entry recovery or infinite loops during filesystem salvage operations.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause the system to hang or become unresponsive during file system recovery operations. This may lead to temporary unavailability of the affected system, potential data access issues, or disruptions in services relying on the XFS file system.

Mitigation Strategies

Update your Linux kernel to the latest patched version that resolves this issue. Monitor XFS filesystem operations for signs of hangs or errors during directory recovery. Ensure backups are current in case filesystem corruption occurs.

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