CVE-2026-23036
Unknown Unknown - Not Provided
BaseFortify

Publication date: 2026-01-31

Last updated on: 2026-02-03

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: release path before iget_failed() in btrfs_read_locked_inode() In btrfs_read_locked_inode() if we fail to lookup the inode, we jump to the 'out' label with a path that has a read locked leaf and then we call iget_failed(). This can result in a ABBA deadlock, since iget_failed() triggers inode eviction and that causes the release of the delayed inode, which must lock the delayed inode's mutex, and a task updating a delayed inode starts by taking the node's mutex and then modifying the inode's subvolume btree. Syzbot reported the following lockdep splat for this: ====================================================== WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected syzkaller #0 Not tainted ------------------------------------------------------ btrfs-cleaner/8725 is trying to acquire lock: ffff0000d6826a48 (&delayed_node->mutex){+.+.}-{4:4}, at: __btrfs_release_delayed_node+0xa0/0x9b0 fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:290 but task is already holding lock: ffff0000dbeba878 (btrfs-tree-00){++++}-{4:4}, at: btrfs_tree_read_lock_nested+0x44/0x2ec fs/btrfs/locking.c:145 which lock already depends on the new lock. the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is: -> #1 (btrfs-tree-00){++++}-{4:4}: __lock_release kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5574 [inline] lock_release+0x198/0x39c kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5889 up_read+0x24/0x3c kernel/locking/rwsem.c:1632 btrfs_tree_read_unlock+0xdc/0x298 fs/btrfs/locking.c:169 btrfs_tree_unlock_rw fs/btrfs/locking.h:218 [inline] btrfs_search_slot+0xa6c/0x223c fs/btrfs/ctree.c:2133 btrfs_lookup_inode+0xd8/0x38c fs/btrfs/inode-item.c:395 __btrfs_update_delayed_inode+0x124/0xed0 fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:1032 btrfs_update_delayed_inode fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:1118 [inline] __btrfs_commit_inode_delayed_items+0x15f8/0x1748 fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:1141 __btrfs_run_delayed_items+0x1ac/0x514 fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:1176 btrfs_run_delayed_items_nr+0x28/0x38 fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:1219 flush_space+0x26c/0xb68 fs/btrfs/space-info.c:828 do_async_reclaim_metadata_space+0x110/0x364 fs/btrfs/space-info.c:1158 btrfs_async_reclaim_metadata_space+0x90/0xd8 fs/btrfs/space-info.c:1226 process_one_work+0x7e8/0x155c kernel/workqueue.c:3263 process_scheduled_works kernel/workqueue.c:3346 [inline] worker_thread+0x958/0xed8 kernel/workqueue.c:3427 kthread+0x5fc/0x75c kernel/kthread.c:463 ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20 arch/arm64/kernel/entry.S:844 -> #0 (&delayed_node->mutex){+.+.}-{4:4}: check_prev_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3165 [inline] check_prevs_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3284 [inline] validate_chain kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3908 [inline] __lock_acquire+0x1774/0x30a4 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5237 lock_acquire+0x14c/0x2e0 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5868 __mutex_lock_common+0x1d0/0x2678 kernel/locking/mutex.c:598 __mutex_lock kernel/locking/mutex.c:760 [inline] mutex_lock_nested+0x2c/0x38 kernel/locking/mutex.c:812 __btrfs_release_delayed_node+0xa0/0x9b0 fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:290 btrfs_release_delayed_node fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:315 [inline] btrfs_remove_delayed_node+0x68/0x84 fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:1326 btrfs_evict_inode+0x578/0xe28 fs/btrfs/inode.c:5587 evict+0x414/0x928 fs/inode.c:810 iput_final fs/inode.c:1914 [inline] iput+0x95c/0xad4 fs/inode.c:1966 iget_failed+0xec/0x134 fs/bad_inode.c:248 btrfs_read_locked_inode+0xe1c/0x1234 fs/btrfs/inode.c:4101 btrfs_iget+0x1b0/0x264 fs/btrfs/inode.c:5837 btrfs_run_defrag_inode fs/btrfs/defrag.c:237 [inline] btrfs_run_defrag_inodes+0x520/0xdc4 fs/btrf ---truncated---
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Meta Information
Published
2026-01-31
Last Modified
2026-02-03
Generated
2026-05-07
AI Q&A
2026-01-31
EPSS Evaluated
2026-05-05
NVD
EUVD
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's btrfs filesystem occurs in the function btrfs_read_locked_inode(). When the inode lookup fails, the code jumps to a cleanup path that still holds a read-locked path and then calls iget_failed(). This sequence can cause an ABBA deadlock due to circular locking dependencies involving inode eviction and mutex locking on delayed inodes. Essentially, the improper order of releasing and acquiring locks can cause the system to deadlock, impacting filesystem operations.


How can this vulnerability impact me? :

This vulnerability can lead to a deadlock situation in the Linux kernel's btrfs filesystem, which may cause system hangs or freezes when accessing or modifying files. This can degrade system stability and availability, potentially interrupting normal operations and requiring a reboot or manual intervention to recover.


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