[PATCH] fs/ntfs3: prevent attribute-list pointer underflow

From: Cen Zhang (Microsoft)

Date: Sun Aug 16 2026 - 13:37:24 EST


attr_set_size_ex() and attr_collapse_range() use the on-disk size of a
removed ATTR_LIST_ENTRY to step a pointer backward. A crafted entry whose
size exceeds its offset from the attribute-list buffer start underflows the
pointer, and the next entry dereference reads outside the allocation.

BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in attr_set_size_ex
attr_set_size_ex fs/ntfs3/attrib.c:847
ntfs_file_release fs/ntfs3/file.c:1427
__fput fs/file_table.c:512
__x64_sys_close fs/open.c:1496

Before each backward step, reject an entry whose on-disk size exceeds its
offset from the attribute-list buffer start. This prevents pointer
underflow in both the shrink and collapse-range paths while preserving
their existing fail-stop error handling.

Commit be71b5cba2e6 ("fs/ntfs3: Add attrib operations") introduced the
vulnerable implementation. Commit 12dad495eaab ("fs/ntfs3: Add Kconfig,
Makefile and doc") added the local build files. Commit 6e5be40d32fb
("fs/ntfs3: Add NTFS3 in fs/Kconfig and fs/Makefile") wired them into
the top-level build, making NTFS3 triggerable in standard kernels.

Fixes: 6e5be40d32fb ("fs/ntfs3: Add NTFS3 in fs/Kconfig and fs/Makefile")
Reported-by: AutonomousCodeSecurity@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Reported-by: Xiang Mei (Microsoft) <xmei5@xxxxxxx>
Reported-by: Cen Zhang (Microsoft) <blbllhy@xxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Cen Zhang (Microsoft) <blbllhy@xxxxxxxxx>
---
fs/ntfs3/attrib.c | 19 ++++++++++++++-----
1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/fs/ntfs3/attrib.c b/fs/ntfs3/attrib.c
index c621a4c582f9..562bfcf3561f 100644
--- a/fs/ntfs3/attrib.c
+++ b/fs/ntfs3/attrib.c
@@ -779,12 +779,15 @@ int attr_set_size_ex(struct ntfs_inode *ni, enum ATTR_TYPE type,
u16 le_sz = le16_to_cpu(le->size);

/*
- * NOTE: List entries for one attribute are always
- * the same size. We deal with last entry (vcn==0)
- * and it is not first in entries array
- * (list entry for std attribute always first).
- * So it is safe to step back.
+ * List entries for one attribute are expected to have
+ * the same size. Validate the on-disk size before using
+ * it to step back.
*/
+ if (le_sz > PtrOffset(ni->attr_list.le, le)) {
+ err = -EINVAL;
+ goto bad_inode;
+ }
+
mi_remove_attr(NULL, mi, attr);

if (!al_remove_le(ni, le)) {
@@ -2216,6 +2219,12 @@ int attr_collapse_range(struct ntfs_inode *ni, u64 vbo, u64 bytes)
}
continue;
}
+
+ if (le_sz > PtrOffset(ni->attr_list.le, le)) {
+ err = -EINVAL;
+ goto out;
+ }
+
le = (struct ATTR_LIST_ENTRY *)((u8 *)le - le_sz);
}

--
2.52.0