[PATCH] exfat: clean up new entry on add entry failure

From: Yichong Chen

Date: Tue Jul 28 2026 - 01:59:56 EST


exfat_add_entry() initializes a new directory entry set before writing
it with exfat_put_dentry_set(). If the write fails, mkdir/create returns
an error but a partially written entry may be left behind.

For non-zero-size directories, the failure also happens after a cluster
has been allocated for the new directory. That cluster needs to be
released if the mkdir fails.

Clean up the new entry best-effort and free the newly allocated directory
cluster when one was allocated.

Signed-off-by: Yichong Chen <chenyichong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
fs/exfat/namei.c | 12 +++++++++++-
1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/fs/exfat/namei.c b/fs/exfat/namei.c
index 038bc6fed681..7bd745090f92 100644
--- a/fs/exfat/namei.c
+++ b/fs/exfat/namei.c
@@ -471,6 +471,7 @@ static int exfat_add_entry(struct inode *inode, const char *path,
struct exfat_entry_set_cache es;
int clu_size = 0;
unsigned int start_clu = EXFAT_FREE_CLUSTER;
+ bool dir_allocated = false;

ret = exfat_resolve_path(inode, path, &uniname);
if (ret)
@@ -497,6 +498,7 @@ static int exfat_add_entry(struct inode *inode, const char *path,
}
start_clu = clu.dir;
clu_size = sbi->cluster_size;
+ dir_allocated = true;
}

/* update the directory entry */
@@ -507,8 +509,16 @@ static int exfat_add_entry(struct inode *inode, const char *path,
exfat_init_ext_entry(&es, num_entries, &uniname, NULL, 0);

ret = exfat_put_dentry_set(&es, IS_DIRSYNC(inode));
- if (ret)
+ if (ret) {
+ if (!exfat_get_dentry_set(&es, sb, &info->dir, dentry,
+ ES_ALL_ENTRIES)) {
+ exfat_remove_entries(inode, &es, ES_IDX_FILE, false);
+ exfat_put_dentry_set(&es, false);
+ }
+ if (dir_allocated)
+ exfat_free_cluster(inode, &clu);
goto out;
+ }

info->entry = dentry;
info->flags = ALLOC_NO_FAT_CHAIN;
--
2.51.0