Re: [PATCH] ext4: don't enable DAX on new encrypted files

Jan Kara <[email protected]> Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:57:29 +0200
Newsgroups org.kernel.vger.linux-fscrypt,org.kernel.vger.linux-ext4,org.kernel.vger.linux-kernel,org.kernel.vger.stable
Message-ID <4ramlo3giiu63es2enlu5ebbg5swq27pc45b2yso33pp3gtmgr@yd5hfhglyi6d>
On Thu 30-07-26 10:52:12, Eric Biggers wrote:
> Currently, when a new encrypted regular file is created, the call to
> ext4_set_inode_flags(inode, init=true) in __ext4_new_inode() is made
> before EXT4_INODE_ENCRYPT is set.  As a result, it can set S_DAX if the
> filesystem is mounted with "-o dax=always".
> 
> EXT4_INODE_ENCRYPT then actually gets set a bit later in
> __ext4_new_inode(), when it calls fscrypt_set_context() which calls
> ext4_set_context().  ext4_set_context() sets EXT4_INODE_ENCRYPT and
> calls ext4_set_inode_flags(inode, init=false) to set S_ENCRYPTED too.
> 
> This was intended to clear S_DAX as well.  However, this was broken by
> commit 043546e46dc7 ("fs/ext4: Only change S_DAX on inode load").  This
> causes data written to the file to bypass encryption, also causing
> xfstests failures such as generic/548 (when "-o dax=always" is used).
> 
> Fix this by simplifying the flow by making __ext4_new_inode() set
> EXT4_INODE_ENCRYPT earlier.  This makes it take effect in
> ext4_set_inode_flags(inode, init=true), making S_DAX never be set.
> 
> Similarly, make EXT4_STATE_MAY_INLINE_DATA never be set in the first
> place on new encrypted inodes.  Then it doesn't need to be cleared.
> 
> As a result of these simplifications, ext4_set_context() no longer needs
> to change inode flags or state when 'handle != NULL'.  Remove that too.
> 
> Reported-by: Disha Goel <[email protected]>
> Reported-by: Ojaswin Mujoo <[email protected]>
> Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/r/[email protected]
> Fixes: 043546e46dc7 ("fs/ext4: Only change S_DAX on inode load")
> Cc: [email protected]
> Signed-off-by: Eric Biggers <[email protected]>

Looks good! Feel free to add:

Reviewed-by: Jan Kara <[email protected]>

								Honza

> ---
>  fs/ext4/crypto.c | 40 ++++++++++++++++++++--------------------
>  fs/ext4/ialloc.c |  4 ++++
>  2 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 20 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/fs/ext4/crypto.c b/fs/ext4/crypto.c
> index f41f320f4437..3971986de028 100644
> --- a/fs/ext4/crypto.c
> +++ b/fs/ext4/crypto.c
> @@ -144,7 +144,13 @@ static int ext4_set_context(struct inode *inode, const void *ctx, size_t len,
>  	if (inode->i_ino == EXT4_ROOT_INO)
>  		return -EPERM;
>  
> -	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(IS_DAX(inode) && i_size_read(inode)))
> +	/*
> +	 * For new encrypted inodes, S_DAX is never set in the first place.
> +	 *
> +	 * For existing inodes, this is called only on empty directories.  ext4
> +	 * never sets S_DAX on directories.
> +	 */
> +	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(IS_DAX(inode)))
>  		return -EINVAL;
>  
>  	if (ext4_test_inode_flag(inode, EXT4_INODE_DAX))
> @@ -163,6 +169,14 @@ static int ext4_set_context(struct inode *inode, const void *ctx, size_t len,
>  	 */
>  
>  	if (handle) {
> +		/*
> +		 * __ext4_new_inode() should have already set the encrypt flag
> +		 * on the inode and avoided enabling inline data.
> +		 */
> +		if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!IS_ENCRYPTED(inode)))
> +			return -EINVAL;
> +		if (WARN_ON_ONCE(ext4_test_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_MAY_INLINE_DATA)))
> +			return -EINVAL;
>  		/*
>  		 * Since the inode is new it is ok to pass the
>  		 * XATTR_CREATE flag. This is necessary to match the
> @@ -170,21 +184,10 @@ static int ext4_set_context(struct inode *inode, const void *ctx, size_t len,
>  		 * function with the credits allocated for the new
>  		 * inode.
>  		 */
> -		res = ext4_xattr_set_handle(handle, inode,
> -					    EXT4_XATTR_INDEX_ENCRYPTION,
> -					    EXT4_XATTR_NAME_ENCRYPTION_CONTEXT,
> -					    ctx, len, XATTR_CREATE);
> -		if (!res) {
> -			ext4_set_inode_flag(inode, EXT4_INODE_ENCRYPT);
> -			ext4_clear_inode_state(inode,
> -					EXT4_STATE_MAY_INLINE_DATA);
> -			/*
> -			 * Update inode->i_flags - S_ENCRYPTED will be enabled,
> -			 * S_DAX may be disabled
> -			 */
> -			ext4_set_inode_flags(inode, false);
> -		}
> -		return res;
> +		return ext4_xattr_set_handle(handle, inode,
> +					     EXT4_XATTR_INDEX_ENCRYPTION,
> +					     EXT4_XATTR_NAME_ENCRYPTION_CONTEXT,
> +					     ctx, len, XATTR_CREATE);
>  	}
>  
>  	res = dquot_initialize(inode);
> @@ -205,10 +208,7 @@ static int ext4_set_context(struct inode *inode, const void *ctx, size_t len,
>  				    ctx, len, 0);
>  	if (!res) {
>  		ext4_set_inode_flag(inode, EXT4_INODE_ENCRYPT);
> -		/*
> -		 * Update inode->i_flags - S_ENCRYPTED will be enabled,
> -		 * S_DAX may be disabled
> -		 */
> +		/* Update inode->i_flags to set S_ENCRYPTED. */
>  		ext4_set_inode_flags(inode, false);
>  		res = ext4_mark_inode_dirty(handle, inode);
>  		if (res)
> diff --git a/fs/ext4/ialloc.c b/fs/ext4/ialloc.c
> index a40cb27f8116..a5831fc536db 100644
> --- a/fs/ext4/ialloc.c
> +++ b/fs/ext4/ialloc.c
> @@ -997,6 +997,8 @@ struct inode *__ext4_new_inode(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
>  		err = fscrypt_prepare_new_inode(dir, inode, &encrypt);
>  		if (err)
>  			goto out;
> +		if (encrypt)
> +			i_flags |= EXT4_ENCRYPT_FL;
>  	}
>  
>  	err = dquot_initialize(inode);
> @@ -1306,6 +1308,8 @@ struct inode *__ext4_new_inode(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
>  	ei->i_extra_isize = sbi->s_want_extra_isize;
>  	ei->i_inline_off = 0;
>  	if (ext4_has_feature_inline_data(sb) &&
> +	    /* Encrypted inodes cannot have inline data */
> +	    !(ei->i_flags & EXT4_ENCRYPT_FL) &&
>  	    (!(ei->i_flags & (EXT4_DAX_FL|EXT4_EA_INODE_FL)) || S_ISDIR(mode)))
>  		ext4_set_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_MAY_INLINE_DATA);
>  	ret = inode;
> 
> base-commit: f5098b6bae761e346ebcd9da7f95622c04733cff
> -- 
> 2.55.0
> 
-- 
Jan Kara <[email protected]>
SUSE Labs, CR