Linux Kernel up to 6.12.110/6.18.52 btrfs insert_dirty_subvol use after free

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7.8	$0-$5k	0.00+

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability classified as very critical was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.110/6.18.52. This impacts the function insert_dirty_subvol of the component btrfs. Executing a manipulation can lead to use after free. This vulnerability appears as CVE-2026-93800. The attack requires local access. There is no available exploit. Upgrading the affected component is advised.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability classified as very critical was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.110/6.18.52. This vulnerability affects the function insert_dirty_subvol of the component btrfs. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a use after free vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-416. Referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: fix use-after-free on reloc root after error in insert_dirty_subvol() If during relocation we fail in insert_dirty_subvol() because btrfs_update_reloc_root() returned an error, we will leave a root's reloc_root field pointing to a reloc root that was freed instead of NULL, resulting later in a use-after-free, or double free attempt during unmount. The sequence of steps is this: 1) During relocation the call to btrfs_update_reloc_root() in insert_dirty_subvol() fails, so insert_dirty_subvol() returns the error to merge_reloc_root() without adding the root to the list rc->dirty_subvol_roots; 2) Then merge_reloc_root() aborts the current transaction because insert_dirty_subvol() returned an error; 3) Up the call chain, merge_reloc_roots() gets the error, adds the reloc root for root X to the local reloc_roots list and jumps to the 'out' label, where it calls free_reloc_roots() to free all the reloc roots in the local reloc_roots list. This frees the reloc root for root X; 4) We go up the call chain to relocate_block_group() which calls clean_dirty_subvols() to go over dirty roots and set their ->reloc_root field to NULL, but root X is not in the dirty_subvol_roots list, so its ->reloc_root still points to a reloc root; 5) Relocation finishes, with an error and a transaction abort, but the ->reloc_root field for root X still points to the reloc root that was freed in step 3; 6) When unmounting the fs we end up calling: btrfs_free_fs_roots() btrfs_drop_and_free_fs_root() --> calls btrfs_put_root() against root X's ->reloc_root which is not NULL and points to the already freed reloc root in step 4 above Resulting in a use-after-free to a double free attempt. Syzbot reported this with the following dmesg/syslog: [ 106.004389][ T5339] BTRFS error (device loop0 state A): Transaction aborted (error -5) [ 106.014266][ T5339] BTRFS: error (device loop0 state A) in merge_reloc_root:1655: errno=-5 IO failure [ 106.021891][ T1061] BTRFS error (device loop0 state A): error while writing out transaction: -5 [ 106.026964][ T1061] BTRFS warning (device loop0 state A): Skipping commit of aborted transaction. [ 106.033807][ T5340] BTRFS error (device loop0 state A): bdev /dev/loop0 errs: wr 3, rd 0, flush 0, corrupt 0, gen 0 [ 106.039265][ T1061] BTRFS: error (device loop0 state A) in cleanup_transaction:2067: errno=-5 IO failure [ 106.044382][ T5339] BTRFS info (device loop0 state EA): forced readonly [ 106.074329][ T5339] BTRFS: error (device loop0 state EA) in merge_reloc_roots:1887: errno=-5 IO failure [ 106.081004][ T5356] BTRFS info (device loop0 state EA): scrub: started on devid 1 [ 106.085611][ T5339] BTRFS info (device loop0 state EA): balance: ended with status: -30 [ 106.089517][ T5356] BTRFS info (device loop0 state EA): scrub: not finished on devid 1 with status: -30 [ 106.662365][ T5338] BTRFS info (device loop0 state EA): last unmount of filesystem 3a375e4e-b156-4d76-a2ad-16e198ce1409 [ 106.682946][ T5338] ================================================================== [ 106.686574][ T5338] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in btrfs_put_root+0x2f/0x250 [ 106.690090][ T5338] Write of size 4 at addr ffff88803f978630 by task syz.0.0/5338 [ 106.693173][ T5338] [ 106.694279][ T5338] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 5338 Comm: syz.0.0 Not tainted syzkaller #0 PREEMPT(full) [ 106.694293][ T5338] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2 04/01/2014 [ 106.694300][ T5338] Call Trace: [ 106.694308][ T5338] <TASK> [ 106.694314][ T5338] dump_stack_lvl+0xe8/0x150 [ 106.694331][ T5338] print_address_description+0x55/0x1e0 [ 106.694343][ T5338] ? btrfs_put_root+0x2f/0x250 [ 106.694358][ T5338] print_report+0x58/0x70 [ 106. ---truncated---

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability was named CVE-2026-93800 since 09/18/2026. The exploitation appears to be easy. The attack needs to be approached locally. Additional levels of successful authentication are necessary for exploitation. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available. The current price for an exploit might be approx. USD $0-$5k (estimation calculated on 09/24/2026).

Upgrading to version 6.12.111 or 6.18.53 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 97a540d72ebcb21853d11f2a56782fe377f358e7/fda1b6636ff1846f00643e791099db5564b547d9/83201804efa4a5168be754e1dfc9b2faee760cac is able to eliminate this problem. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

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Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.12.110
• 6.18.0
• 6.18.1
• 6.18.2
• 6.18.3
• 6.18.4
• 6.18.5
• 6.18.6
• 6.18.7
• 6.18.8
• 6.18.9
• 6.18.10
• 6.18.11
• 6.18.12
• 6.18.13
• 6.18.14
• 6.18.15
• 6.18.16
• 6.18.17
• 6.18.18
• 6.18.19
• 6.18.20
• 6.18.21
• 6.18.22
• 6.18.23
• 6.18.24
• 6.18.25
• 6.18.26
• 6.18.27
• 6.18.28
• 6.18.29
• 6.18.30
• 6.18.31
• 6.18.32
• 6.18.33
• 6.18.34
• 6.18.35
• 6.18.36
• 6.18.37
• 6.18.38
• 6.18.39
• 6.18.40
• 6.18.41
• 6.18.42
• 6.18.43
• 6.18.44
• 6.18.45
• 6.18.46
• 6.18.47
• 6.18.48
• 6.18.49
• 6.18.50
• 6.18.51
• 6.18.52

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CPE 2.2info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 8.2
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 7.8

VulDB Base Score: 8.2
VulDB Temp Score: 7.8
VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv2info

AV	AC	Au	C	I	A
💳	💳	💳	💳	💳	💳
💳	💳	💳	💳	💳	💳
💳	💳	💳	💳	💳	💳

Vector	Complexity	Authentication	Confidentiality	Integrity	Availability
Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock
Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock
Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock

VulDB Base Score: 🔒
VulDB Temp Score: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Use after free
CWE: CWE-416 / CWE-119
CAPEC: 🔒
ATT&CK: 🔒

Physical: Partially
Local: Yes
Remote: No

Availability: 🔒
Status: Not defined
Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔒

0-Day	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock
Today	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Upgrade
Status: 🔍

0-Day Time: 🔒

Upgrade: Kernel 6.12.111/6.18.53
Patch: 97a540d72ebcb21853d11f2a56782fe377f358e7/fda1b6636ff1846f00643e791099db5564b547d9/83201804efa4a5168be754e1dfc9b2faee760cac

Timelineinfo

09/18/2026 CVE reserved
09/24/2026 +6 days Advisory disclosed
09/24/2026 +0 days VulDB entry created
09/24/2026 +0 days VulDB entry last update

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: kernel.org

Advisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed

CVE: CVE-2026-93800 (🔒)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2026-93800
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-409528

Entryinfo

Created: 09/24/2026 19:04
Changes: 09/24/2026 19:04 (59)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

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Discussion

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