CVE-2022-49007: nilfs2: fix NULL pointer dereference in nilfs_palloc_commit_free_entry()
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
nilfs2: fix NULL pointer dereference in nilfs_palloc_commit_free_entry()
Syzbot reported a null-ptr-deref bug:
NILFS (loop0): segctord starting. Construction interval = 5 seconds, CP
frequency < 30 seconds
general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address
0xdffffc0000000002: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP KASAN
KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000010-0x0000000000000017]
CPU: 1 PID: 3603 Comm: segctord Not tainted
6.1.0-rc2-syzkaller-00105-gb229b6ca5abb #0
Hardware name: Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google
10/11/2022
RIP: 0010:nilfs_palloc_commit_free_entry+0xe5/0x6b0
fs/nilfs2/alloc.c:608
Code: 00 00 00 00 fc ff df 80 3c 02 00 0f 85 cd 05 00 00 48 b8 00 00 00
00 00 fc ff df 4c 8b 73 08 49 8d 7e 10 48 89 fa 48 c1 ea 03 <80> 3c 02
00 0f 85 26 05 00 00 49 8b 46 10 be a6 00 00 00 48 c7 c7
RSP: 0018:ffffc90003dff830 EFLAGS: 00010212
RAX: dffffc0000000000 RBX: ffff88802594e218 RCX: 000000000000000d
RDX: 0000000000000002 RSI: 0000000000002000 RDI: 0000000000000010
RBP: ffff888071880222 R08: 0000000000000005 R09: 000000000000003f
R10: 000000000000000d R11: 0000000000000000 R12: ffff888071880158
R13: ffff88802594e220 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 0000000000000004
FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff8880b9b00000(0000)
knlGS:0000000000000000
CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
CR2: 00007fb1c08316a8 CR3: 0000000018560000 CR4: 0000000000350ee0
Call Trace:
<TASK>
nilfs_dat_commit_free fs/nilfs2/dat.c:114 [inline]
nilfs_dat_commit_end+0x464/0x5f0 fs/nilfs2/dat.c:193
nilfs_dat_commit_update+0x26/0x40 fs/nilfs2/dat.c:236
nilfs_btree_commit_update_v+0x87/0x4a0 fs/nilfs2/btree.c:1940
nilfs_btree_commit_propagate_v fs/nilfs2/btree.c:2016 [inline]
nilfs_btree_propagate_v fs/nilfs2/btree.c:2046 [inline]
nilfs_btree_propagate+0xa00/0xd60 fs/nilfs2/btree.c:2088
nilfs_bmap_propagate+0x73/0x170 fs/nilfs2/bmap.c:337
nilfs_collect_file_data+0x45/0xd0 fs/nilfs2/segment.c:568
nilfs_segctor_apply_buffers+0x14a/0x470 fs/nilfs2/segment.c:1018
nilfs_segctor_scan_file+0x3f4/0x6f0 fs/nilfs2/segment.c:1067
nilfs_segctor_collect_blocks fs/nilfs2/segment.c:1197 [inline]
nilfs_segctor_collect fs/nilfs2/segment.c:1503 [inline]
nilfs_segctor_do_construct+0x12fc/0x6af0 fs/nilfs2/segment.c:2045
nilfs_segctor_construct+0x8e3/0xb30 fs/nilfs2/segment.c:2379
nilfs_segctor_thread_construct fs/nilfs2/segment.c:2487 [inline]
nilfs_segctor_thread+0x3c3/0xf30 fs/nilfs2/segment.c:2570
kthread+0x2e4/0x3a0 kernel/kthread.c:376
ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:306
</TASK>
...
If DAT metadata file is corrupted on disk, there is a case where
req->pr_desc_bh is NULL and blocknr is 0 at nilfs_dat_commit_end() during
a b-tree operation that cascadingly updates ancestor nodes of the b-tree,
because nilfs_dat_commit_alloc() for a lower level block can initialize
the blocknr on the same DAT entry between nilfs_dat_prepare_end() and
nilfs_dat_commit_end().
If this happens, nilfs_dat_commit_end() calls nilfs_dat_commit_free()
without valid buffer heads in req->pr_desc_bh and req->pr_bitmap_bh, and
causes the NULL pointer dereference above in
nilfs_palloc_commit_free_entry() function, which leads to a crash.
Fix this by adding a NULL check on req->pr_desc_bh and req->pr_bitmap_bh
before nilfs_palloc_commit_free_entry() in nilfs_dat_commit_free().
This also calls nilfs_error() in that case to notify that there is a fatal
flaw in the filesystem metadata and prevent further operations.
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2022-49007 is a Linux kernel NILFS2 filesystem crash bug. If corrupted NILFS2 metadata is processed, the kernel can hit a NULL pointer dereference and crash. Public sources do not show active exploitation or a CVSS score.
Executive priority
Treat as a stability and availability issue, not a confirmed breach indicator. Patch during normal kernel maintenance, faster for systems handling untrusted storage or filesystem images.
Technical view
The flaw is in NILFS2 nilfs_palloc_commit_free_entry(), reached through nilfs_dat_commit_end() during b-tree update handling. Corrupted DAT metadata can leave req->pr_desc_bh and req->pr_bitmap_bh NULL, causing a NULL pointer dereference. The kernel fix adds NULL checks and reports a fatal filesystem metadata flaw.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to Linux systems with NILFS2 support that mount or process NILFS2 filesystems, especially corrupted or untrusted media/images. Systems not using NILFS2 are less likely to be exposed.
Exploitation context
The source describes a syzbot-reported crash from corrupted on-disk NILFS2 metadata. No KEV listing, active exploitation, remote attack path, or privilege escalation is identified in the provided sources.
Researcher notes
Severity data is incomplete: no CVSS, CWE, or exploitation evidence is provided. The strongest evidence is the upstream kernel fix and syzbot crash trace. Assess reachability through NILFS2 usage and distribution backports.
Mitigation direction
Apply Linux kernel updates containing the referenced stable NILFS2 fixes.
Prioritize systems that mount removable, user-supplied, or untrusted filesystem images.
Avoid mounting untrusted NILFS2 filesystems until updated.
If no vendor package is available, follow your Linux distribution’s kernel guidance.
Validation and detection
Inventory Linux kernels against affected versions listed in the CVE record.
Confirm whether NILFS2 support is enabled, loadable, or used.
Review vendor advisories for backported fixes matching the referenced commits.
Check kernel logs for NILFS2 fatal metadata errors or related crashes.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
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