Forwarded: [PATCH] ext4: fix race condition in ext4_write_end() with inline data conversion
From: syzbot
Date: Thu Jul 16 2026 - 20:08:19 EST
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Subject: [PATCH] ext4: fix race condition in ext4_write_end() with inline data conversion
Author: kartikey406@xxxxxxxxx
#syz test: git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/arm64/linux.git for-kernelci
A race condition exists between ext4_write_end() checking for inline data
and the inline-to-block conversion path clearing the inline flags.
Thread A (write completion):
- Checks ext4_has_inline_data(inode) = TRUE (no lock held)
- Checks EXT4_STATE_MAY_INLINE_DATA = TRUE (no lock held)
Thread B (conversion via mmap/readahead):
- Acquires i_data_sem write lock
- Clears EXT4_INODE_INLINE_DATA flag
- Clears EXT4_STATE_MAY_INLINE_DATA state
- Releases i_data_sem
Thread A (resumes):
- Calls ext4_write_inline_data_end()
- BUG_ON(!ext4_has_inline_data(inode)) fails
- Kernel crashes
The fix is to acquire i_data_sem read lock in ext4_write_end() around
the inline data check and handler, serializing against the conversion
path which holds the write lock.
Reported-by: syzbot+293a57918b36cfae3d48@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Link: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=293a57918b36cfae3d48
Signed-off-by: Deepanshu Kartikey <kartikey406@xxxxxxxxx>
---
fs/ext4/inode.c | 10 ++++++++--
1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
diff --git a/fs/ext4/inode.c b/fs/ext4/inode.c
index ce99807c5f5b..9a5347907685 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/inode.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/inode.c
@@ -1450,11 +1450,17 @@ static int ext4_write_end(const struct kiocb *iocb,
trace_ext4_write_end(inode, pos, len, copied);
+ down_read(&EXT4_I(inode)->i_data_sem);
+ /* Serialize against inline data conversion (see ext4_convert_inline_data_nolock) */
if (ext4_has_inline_data(inode) &&
- ext4_test_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_MAY_INLINE_DATA))
- return ext4_write_inline_data_end(inode, pos, len, copied,
+ ext4_test_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_MAY_INLINE_DATA)) {
+ ret = ext4_write_inline_data_end(inode, pos, len, copied,
folio);
+ up_read(&EXT4_I(inode)->i_data_sem);
+ return ret;
+ }
+ up_read(&EXT4_I(inode)->i_data_sem);
copied = block_write_end(pos, len, copied, folio);
/*
* it's important to update i_size while still holding folio lock:
--
2.43.0