CVE-2026-98974 — xfs: fix exchange-range-to-eof file size exchange
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfs: fix exchange-range-to-eof file size exchange Norbert Szetei posted a patch containing an incomplete description of a bug in XFS_IOC_EXCHANGE_RANGE's TO_EOF flag. The bug tricks exchange-range into modifying a file so that it has shared blocks starting beyond EOF, which is never allowed because files never have written data beyond EOF, and you can only share written data blocks. This is key to all the incorrect behavior that follows. Eventually I got from Norbert a description of what's going wrong: > Fair. Here it is with physical block numbers, 4k blocks. peer is the file > that gets rewritten and file1 is the one that ends up with the flag > cleared. > > Start, nothing shared: > > peer size 4096 -> [100] > file1 size 12288 -> [200] [201] [202] > donor1 size 4096 -> [300] > donor2 size 4096 -> [400] > > 1. FICLONERANGE peer's block into file1's middle slot: > > peer size 4096 -> [100] > file1 size 12288 -> [200] [100] [202] reflink flag set > ^^^^^ both files own block 100 > > 2. XFS_IOC_EXCHANGE_RANGE file1 against donor1, file1_offset 0, > file2_offset 8192, length 0, TO_EOF. One block is exchanged, and the sizes > are exchanged with it: > > file1 size 4096 -> [200] [100] [300] reflink flag set > ^^^^^^^^^^^ still owned, now past the size > donor1 size 12288 -> [202] > > file1 says it is one block long while it still owns three. Nothing was > unmapped. file2_offset is block 2, so this exchange cannot clear a flag. > > 3. XFS_IOC_EXCHANGE_RANGE file1 against donor2, both offsets 0, length 4096. > By i_disk_size this is two one-block files exchanging everything, so > xmi_can_exchange_reflink_flags() agrees and the flag is cleared: > > file1 size 4096 -> [400] [100] [300] reflink flag CLEARED > donor2 size 4096 -> [200] > > Block 100 is still shared with peer. > > 4. pwrite(file1, 4096, 4096), which is file1's second slot, block 100. > xfs_is_cow_inode(file1) is false, so no CoW: > > peer size 4096 -> [100] same block, new contents > > Block 100 is the only one that matters here. PoC below, it reads a file > called peer in the current directory. The filesystem needs reflink and > exchange-range, which mkfs.xfs 7.x turns on by default. So yes, TO_EOF is screwing up the file size even if it's actually exchanging the data block correctly. The following is the intended behavior of XFS_EXCHANGE_RANGE_TO_EOF, as described by its manpage: "Ignore the length parameter. All bytes in file1_fd from file1_offset to EOF are moved to file2_fd, and file2's size is set to (file2_offset+(file1_length-file1_offset)). Meanwhile, all bytes in file2 from file2_offset to EOF are moved to file1 and file1's size is set to (file1_offset+(file2_length-file2_offset))." In other words, if we only exchange a portion of the file data, then we should only exchange the portion of the file size that relates to the exchanged data. Unfortunately, the code swaps the ondisk file size and the incore file sizes, which is incorrect if the caller passes in a nonzero offset. Having confused the file sizes, the PoC uses a second exchange-range call on what looks like a non-reflinked single-block file. Because the file size is set incorrectly, exchange-range thinks it's exchanging the full contents of two files and clears the reflink flag on the broken file. That enables an extending write of the broken file to rewrite the shared block that's just past EOF. This has become known colloquially as refluxfs. Once the file sizes are set correctly, the second exchange-range no longer thinks that it's doing a full-contents swap, so it won't clear the reflink flag on either of its file arguments. Norbert followed up to an earlier version of this patch with a second complaint about us not handling the i_disk_size state correctly: > The offsets are bounded against the incore i_size but subtracted from > ---truncated---
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | ≥ 966ceafc7a437105ecfe1cadb3747b2965a260ca and < b361d32b884f8ddcb9bad5d99b69eece648f8e43≥ 966ceafc7a437105ecfe1cadb3747b2965a260ca and < cf32eb20dfacfd2e92ce86ba1fece9ae5f98a7d8≥ 966ceafc7a437105ecfe1cadb3747b2965a260ca and < 952b5c99a840c2bff1f6645fd5e06e1db6ec2623≥ 966ceafc7a437105ecfe1cadb3747b2965a260ca and < 7dfb218c829c1acb626e0fe92c5fddb9a26a03e9version 6.10 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.8 | 5.9 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67) EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 24, 2026 → Oct 30, 2026 · 7 reading(s) · max 0.21%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- CVSS changed · 7.8
- Record published
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Source status changed · → Received
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 23, 2026 – Oct 24, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 23, 2026 – Oct 23, 2026
References
6 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/952b5c99a840c2bff1f6645fd5e06e1db6ec2623
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/cf32eb20dfacfd2e92ce86ba1fece9ae5f98a7d8
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b361d32b884f8ddcb9bad5d99b69eece648f8e43
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/7dfb218c829c1acb626e0fe92c5fddb9a26a03e9
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-2g9r-fc27-29gx
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98974
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Unknown CVE-2026-99216 Drivers: hv: Don't reset VMBus connection state on error/exit paths 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99215 power: supply: core: prevent unregistering a power supply while a callback runs 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99207 scsi: target: Disable interrupts while holding delayed_cmd_lock 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99208 drm/xe/oa: Zero OA buffer at allocation 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99209 drm/xe: skip eviction of a BO with no resource 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99210 accel/rocket: clear rdev on device init failure 2d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No CWE classification.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-98974 is "xfs: fix exchange-range-to-eof file size exchange", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.16% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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