diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c b/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
index a1ec45fc77d8d6ba841efa399a038d21af17cb3e..4324d84ac1d775623677a7504ac79a175a42ceb7 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
@@ -879,6 +879,12 @@ static int ovl_copy_up_one(struct dentry *parent, struct dentry *dentry,
 		return -EROFS;
 
 	ovl_path_lower(dentry, &ctx.lowerpath);
+
+	if (unlikely(!ctx.lowerpath.dentry)) {
+		pr_err("prevention GPF in security_inode_getattr()\n");
+		return -EIO;
+	}
+
 	err = vfs_getattr(&ctx.lowerpath, &ctx.stat,
 			  STATX_BASIC_STATS, AT_STATX_SYNC_AS_STAT);
 	if (err)