CVE-2026-98844

netfs: clear post-EOF pagecache when extending a file via write

Published Oct 18, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 3.3 Low EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netfs: clear post-EOF pagecache when extending a file via write

Fix netfs to erase the contents of a hole created after the EOF by an
ordinary write if dirty data has been previously left there by writes
through an mmapped region. Neither the buffered nor the unbuffered/DIO
write path clears that stale pagecache.

Zero the tail of the folio straddling the EOF before an extending
write. That is the only folio that can hold data written past the EOF
through an mmap, as pages wholly beyond the EOF can't be faulted in.
The folio is zeroed rather than dropped so a concurrent extending write
can't lose data.

Both write paths downgrade the i_rwsem to shared, so extending writes
can run concurrently and the i_size read by the caller may be stale by
the time the folio is locked. Re-read i_size under the folio lock and
clamp the zeroed range up to it, so a racing write that already put
data into the folio isn't clobbered.

Wait for any writeback on the folio to finish before zeroing it so that
the pagecache isn't modified while it may still be read by the transport
during transmission. Honour IOCB_NOWAIT by returning -EAGAIN rather
than blocking on the folio lock, on writeback, or in folio_mkclean()'s
rmap walk when the folio is mapped.

truncate_pagecache() can't be used here: it must be called with the
i_rwsem held exclusively, but these write paths only hold it shared,
and it would block unconditionally, breaking IOCB_NOWAIT.

Callers that hold i_rwsem exclusively for the whole resize (truncate,
setattr, fallocate, clone) exclude any genuine concurrent buffered
writer, so staleness can instead be decided from the folio's dirty
state, as pagecache_isize_extended() already does for filesystems that
serialise writes against truncate/setattr via a single i_rwsem.
Export netfs_clear_stale_post_isize() helper to handle such case.

The helper is required by the CIFS client to fix generic/363.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4850-1 linux-6.12 security update
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9018-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9018-2 Linux kernel (HWE) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9019-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9020-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9022-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9023-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9024-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9025-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9026-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9039-1 Linux kernel (Azure CVM) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9040-1 Linux kernel (Low Latency NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9066-1 Linux kernel (HWE) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9091-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA Tegra) vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-200
CWE-682
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-908
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 3.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N'}

threat_severity

Low

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-200
CWE-682
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfs: clear post-EOF pagecache when extending a file via write Fix netfs to erase the contents of a hole created after the EOF by an ordinary write if dirty data has been previously left there by writes through an mmapped region. Neither the buffered nor the unbuffered/DIO write path clears that stale pagecache. Zero the tail of the folio straddling the EOF before an extending write. That is the only folio that can hold data written past the EOF through an mmap, as pages wholly beyond the EOF can't be faulted in. The folio is zeroed rather than dropped so a concurrent extending write can't lose data. Both write paths downgrade the i_rwsem to shared, so extending writes can run concurrently and the i_size read by the caller may be stale by the time the folio is locked. Re-read i_size under the folio lock and clamp the zeroed range up to it, so a racing write that already put data into the folio isn't clobbered. Wait for any writeback on the folio to finish before zeroing it so that the pagecache isn't modified while it may still be read by the transport during transmission. Honour IOCB_NOWAIT by returning -EAGAIN rather than blocking on the folio lock, on writeback, or in folio_mkclean()'s rmap walk when the folio is mapped. truncate_pagecache() can't be used here: it must be called with the i_rwsem held exclusively, but these write paths only hold it shared, and it would block unconditionally, breaking IOCB_NOWAIT. Callers that hold i_rwsem exclusively for the whole resize (truncate, setattr, fallocate, clone) exclude any genuine concurrent buffered writer, so staleness can instead be decided from the folio's dirty state, as pagecache_isize_extended() already does for filesystems that serialise writes against truncate/setattr via a single i_rwsem. Export netfs_clear_stale_post_isize() helper to handle such case. The helper is required by the CIFS client to fix generic/363.
Title netfs: clear post-EOF pagecache when extending a file via write
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Oct 19, 2026, 9:26 AM
Reserved
Sep 25, 2026, 10:25 AM
Status
Received
Published
Oct 18, 2026, 4:17 PM
Modified
Oct 19, 2026, 10:19 AM
Severity
Low
Public date
Oct 18, 2026, 12:00 AM