CVE-2025-71201: netfs: Fix early read unlock of page with EOF in middle
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfs: Fix early read unlock of page with EOF in middle
The read result collection for buffered reads seems to run ahead of the
completion of subrequests under some circumstances, as can be seen in the
following log snippet:
9p_client_res: client 18446612686390831168 response P9_TREAD tag 0 err 0
...
netfs_sreq: R=00001b55[1] DOWN TERM f=192 s=0 5fb2/5fb2 s=5 e=0
...
netfs_collect_folio: R=00001b55 ix=00004 r=4000-5000 t=4000/5fb2
netfs_folio: i=157f3 ix=00004-00004 read-done
netfs_folio: i=157f3 ix=00004-00004 read-unlock
netfs_collect_folio: R=00001b55 ix=00005 r=5000-5fb2 t=5000/5fb2
netfs_folio: i=157f3 ix=00005-00005 read-done
netfs_folio: i=157f3 ix=00005-00005 read-unlock
...
netfs_collect_stream: R=00001b55[0:] cto=5fb2 frn=ffffffff
netfs_collect_state: R=00001b55 col=5fb2 cln=6000 n=c
netfs_collect_stream: R=00001b55[0:] cto=5fb2 frn=ffffffff
netfs_collect_state: R=00001b55 col=5fb2 cln=6000 n=8
...
netfs_sreq: R=00001b55[2] ZERO SUBMT f=000 s=5fb2 0/4e s=0 e=0
netfs_sreq: R=00001b55[2] ZERO TERM f=102 s=5fb2 4e/4e s=5 e=0
The 'cto=5fb2' indicates the collected file pos we've collected results to
so far - but we still have 0x4e more bytes to go - so we shouldn't have
collected folio ix=00005 yet. The 'ZERO' subreq that clears the tail
happens after we unlock the folio, allowing the application to see the
uncleared tail through mmap.
The problem is that netfs_read_unlock_folios() will unlock a folio in which
the amount of read results collected hits EOF position - but the ZERO
subreq lies beyond that and so happens after.
Fix this by changing the end check to always be the end of the folio and
never the end of the file.
In the future, I should look at clearing to the end of the folio here rather
than adding a ZERO subreq to do this. On the other hand, the ZERO subreq can
run in parallel with an async READ subreq. Further, the ZERO subreq may still
be necessary to, say, handle extents in a ceph file that don't have any
backing store and are thus implicitly all zeros.
This can be reproduced by creating a file, the size of which doesn't align
to a page boundary, e.g. 24998 (0x5fb2) bytes and then doing something
like:
xfs_io -c "mmap -r 0 0x6000" -c "madvise -d 0 0x6000" \
-c "mread -v 0 0x6000" /xfstest.test/x
The last 0x4e bytes should all be 00, but if the tail hasn't been cleared
yet, you may see rubbish there. This can be reproduced with kafs by
modifying the kernel to disable the call to netfs_read_subreq_progress()
and to stop afs_issue_read() from doing the async call for NETFS_READAHEAD.
Reproduction can be made easier by inserting an mdelay(100) in
netfs_issue_read() for the ZERO-subreq case.
AFS and CIFS are normally unlikely to show this as they dispatch READ ops
asynchronously, which allows the ZERO-subreq to finish first. 9P's READ op is
completely synchronous, so the ZERO-subreq will always happen after. It isn't
seen all the time, though, because the collection may be done in a worker
thread.
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A Linux kernel netfs read bug can expose stale, uncleared bytes at the end of a file page through mmap when a file ends mid-page. The source suggests a confidentiality issue rather than remote code execution. Business urgency depends on whether affected kernels and network filesystem paths are used for sensitive data.
Executive priority
Treat as a targeted confidentiality risk, not an emergency without exposure evidence. Patch through normal kernel update channels, with higher priority for shared, virtualized, or sensitive-data systems using network filesystems.
Technical view
netfs_read_unlock_folios() could unlock a folio once collected reads reached EOF, before the ZERO subrequest cleared the remaining tail. An application using mmap could observe uncleared bytes beyond EOF within the page. The source says 9P is more likely to show this due to synchronous reads; AFS and CIFS are normally unlikely.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most relevant to Linux systems running affected kernel builds with netfs buffered reads, especially 9P-style synchronous read behavior and files ending mid-page. The provided version data is incomplete and should be confirmed against Linux stable commits and distribution backports.
Exploitation context
No KEV listing or cited source indicates active exploitation. The source provides a reproducibility description but does not show public weaponization. Impact appears to be local information disclosure through mmap under timing/order conditions in netfs read completion.
Researcher notes
The key condition is folio unlock before tail zeroing when EOF falls inside a folio. Source evidence names 9P as more observable and AFS/CIFS as normally unlikely. Version and fix mapping should be validated from the referenced commits or distro advisories.
Mitigation direction
Apply kernel updates that include the referenced Linux stable fixes.
Confirm distribution backports for affected Linux kernel packages.
Prioritize systems using netfs-backed workloads or 9P file access.
Review vendor guidance for interim controls if patching is delayed.
Validation and detection
Inventory Linux kernel versions against the affected and fixed ranges.
Check whether workloads use netfs-backed filesystems or 9P paths.
Verify patched kernels include the referenced stable commit identifiers.
Review mmap use on sensitive files stored on affected network filesystems.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
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Feb 14, 2026, 15:22 UTC (UTC+00:00)
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