CVE-2025-21654: ovl: support encoding fid from inode with no alias
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ovl: support encoding fid from inode with no alias
Dmitry Safonov reported that a WARN_ON() assertion can be trigered by
userspace when calling inotify_show_fdinfo() for an overlayfs watched
inode, whose dentry aliases were discarded with drop_caches.
The WARN_ON() assertion in inotify_show_fdinfo() was removed, because
it is possible for encoding file handle to fail for other reason, but
the impact of failing to encode an overlayfs file handle goes beyond
this assertion.
As shown in the LTP test case mentioned in the link below, failure to
encode an overlayfs file handle from a non-aliased inode also leads to
failure to report an fid with FAN_DELETE_SELF fanotify events.
As Dmitry notes in his analyzis of the problem, ovl_encode_fh() fails
if it cannot find an alias for the inode, but this failure can be fixed.
ovl_encode_fh() seldom uses the alias and in the case of non-decodable
file handles, as is often the case with fanotify fid info,
ovl_encode_fh() never needs to use the alias to encode a file handle.
Defer finding an alias until it is actually needed so ovl_encode_fh()
will not fail in the common case of FAN_DELETE_SELF fanotify events.
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2025-21654 is a Linux kernel overlayfs issue. A local userspace action can trigger a kernel warning and can cause fanotify to omit file identifiers for certain self-delete events. The main concern is reliability of monitoring/audit workflows on systems using overlayfs, rather than a confirmed remote compromise path.
Executive priority
Treat as a maintenance-priority kernel fix, higher for container hosts or systems where overlayfs monitoring supports security detection or compliance. No source confirms active exploitation or remote code execution.
Technical view
The fix changes overlayfs file-handle encoding so ovl_encode_fh() does not fail when an inode has no dentry alias after cache dropping. The reported effects include a WARN_ON() in inotify_show_fdinfo() and failure to report an fid with FAN_DELETE_SELF fanotify events.
Likely exposure
Systems running affected Linux kernels with overlayfs are the relevant exposure. Impact is most relevant where inotify/fanotify-based security, audit, or file monitoring depends on overlayfs file identifiers.
Exploitation context
The source describes a userspace-triggerable condition and an LTP test case. There is no cited evidence of active exploitation, no KEV listing, and no public weaponization details in the provided sources.
Researcher notes
Affected-version data in the bundle is limited and inconsistent; verify exact ranges through kernel stable history and distribution advisories. The issue centers on overlayfs file-handle encoding from non-aliased inodes after drop_caches.
Mitigation direction
Update to a Linux kernel containing the referenced stable overlayfs fixes.
Check your OS vendor advisory for backported fixes in distribution kernels.
Prioritize hosts using overlayfs with file monitoring or audit tooling.
Review panic-on-warn settings where kernel warnings could affect availability.
Validation and detection
Inventory Linux kernel versions across servers, containers hosts, and appliances.
Identify systems using overlayfs and fanotify or inotify monitoring.
Confirm whether vendor kernels include the referenced stable commits.
Test monitoring tools for expected FAN_DELETE_SELF file identifier reporting after patching.
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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3Timeline events
0ADP providers
4Source links
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CVE reservedCVE Program
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CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
Jan 19, 2025, 10:18 UTC (UTC+00:00)
CVE updatedCVE Program
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