[PATCH v2] f2fs: validate orphan inode entry count

From: Wenjie Qi

Date: Tue May 26 2026 - 01:36:18 EST


f2fs_recover_orphan_inodes() trusts the orphan block entry_count when
replaying orphan inodes from the checkpoint pack. A corrupted entry_count
larger than F2FS_ORPHANS_PER_BLOCK makes the recovery loop read past the
ino[] array and interpret footer or following data as inode numbers.

On a crafted image, mounting an unpatched kernel can drive orphan recovery
into f2fs_bug_on() and panic the kernel. Validate entry_count before
consuming entries so corrupted checkpoint data fails the mount with
-EFSCORRUPTED and requests fsck instead.

Set ERROR_INCONSISTENT_ORPHAN as well, so the corruption reason can be
recorded in the superblock s_errors[] field. This gives fsck a persistent
hint even though mount-time orphan recovery failure may leave no chance to
persist SBI_NEED_FSCK through a checkpoint.

Fixes: 127e670abfa7 ("f2fs: add checkpoint operations")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Wenjie Qi <qiwenjie@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
Changes in v2:
- Add ERROR_INCONSISTENT_ORPHAN to persist an orphan metadata corruption
hint in s_errors[].
- Call f2fs_handle_error() when orphan entry_count is invalid.

fs/f2fs/checkpoint.c | 14 +++++++++++++-
include/linux/f2fs_fs.h | 1 +
2 files changed, 14 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/fs/f2fs/checkpoint.c b/fs/f2fs/checkpoint.c
index c00a6b6ebcbd..064f5b537423 100644
--- a/fs/f2fs/checkpoint.c
+++ b/fs/f2fs/checkpoint.c
@@ -943,6 +943,7 @@ int f2fs_recover_orphan_inodes(struct f2fs_sb_info *sbi)
for (i = 0; i < orphan_blocks; i++) {
struct folio *folio;
struct f2fs_orphan_block *orphan_blk;
+ unsigned int entry_count;

folio = f2fs_get_meta_folio(sbi, start_blk + i);
if (IS_ERR(folio)) {
@@ -951,7 +952,18 @@ int f2fs_recover_orphan_inodes(struct f2fs_sb_info *sbi)
}

orphan_blk = folio_address(folio);
- for (j = 0; j < le32_to_cpu(orphan_blk->entry_count); j++) {
+ entry_count = le32_to_cpu(orphan_blk->entry_count);
+ if (entry_count > F2FS_ORPHANS_PER_BLOCK) {
+ f2fs_err(sbi, "invalid orphan inode entry count %u",
+ entry_count);
+ set_sbi_flag(sbi, SBI_NEED_FSCK);
+ f2fs_handle_error(sbi, ERROR_INCONSISTENT_ORPHAN);
+ err = -EFSCORRUPTED;
+ f2fs_folio_put(folio, true);
+ goto out;
+ }
+
+ for (j = 0; j < entry_count; j++) {
nid_t ino = le32_to_cpu(orphan_blk->ino[j]);

err = recover_orphan_inode(sbi, ino);
diff --git a/include/linux/f2fs_fs.h b/include/linux/f2fs_fs.h
index 829a59399dac..bb2b6cd5d507 100644
--- a/include/linux/f2fs_fs.h
+++ b/include/linux/f2fs_fs.h
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ enum f2fs_error {
ERROR_CORRUPTED_XATTR,
ERROR_INVALID_NODE_REFERENCE,
ERROR_INCONSISTENT_NAT,
+ ERROR_INCONSISTENT_ORPHAN,
ERROR_MAX,
};

--
2.43.0