CVE-2025-22115

What it is

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: fix block group refcount race in btrfs_create_pending_block_groups() Block group creation is done in two phases, which results in a slightly unintuitive property: a block group can be allocated/deallocated from after btrfs_make_block_group() adds it to the space_info with btrfs_add_bg_to_space_info(), but before creation is completely completed in btrfs_create_pending_block_groups(). As a result, it is possible for a block group to go unused and have 'btrfs_mark_bg_unused' called on it concurrently with 'btrfs_create_pending_block_groups'. This causes a number of issues, which were fixed with the block group flag 'BLOCK_GROUP_FLAG_NEW'. However, this fix is not quite complete. Since it does not use the unused_bg_lock, it is possible for the following race to occur: btrfs_create_pending_block_groups btrfs_mark_bg_unused if list_empty // false list_del_init clear_bit else if (test_bit) // true list_move_tail And we get into the exact same broken ref count and invalid new_bgs state for transaction cleanup that BLOCK_GROUP_FLAG_NEW was designed to prevent. The broken refcount aspect will result in a warning like: [1272.943527] refcount_t: underflow; use-after-free. [1272.943967] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 61 at lib/refcount.c:28 refcount_warn_saturate+0xba/0x110 [1272.944731] Modules linked in: btrfs virtio_net xor zstd_compress raid6_pq null_blk [last unloaded: btrfs] [1272.945550] CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 61 Comm: kworker/u32:1 Kdump: loaded Tainted: G W 6.14.0-rc5+ #108 [1272.946368] Tainted: [W]=WARN [1272.946585] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS Arch Linux 1.16.3-1-1 04/01/2014 [1272.947273] Workqueue: btrfs_discard btrfs_discard_workfn [btrfs] [1272.947788] RIP: 0010:refcount_warn_saturate+0xba/0x110 [1272.949532] RSP: 0018:ffffbf1200247df0 EFLAGS: 00010282 [1272.949901] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffffa14b00e3f800 RCX: 0000000000000000 [1272.950437] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffffbf1200247c78 RDI: 00000000ffffdfff [1272.950986] RBP: ffffa14b00dc2860 R08: 00000000ffffdfff R09: ffffffff90526268 [1272.951512] R10: ffffffff904762c0 R11: 0000000063666572 R12: ffffa14b00dc28c0 [1272.952024] R13: 0000000000000000 R14: ffffa14b00dc2868 R15: 000001285dcd12c0 [1272.952850] FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffffa14d33c40000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 [1272.953458] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 [1272.953931] CR2: 00007f838cbda000 CR3: 000000010104e000 CR4: 00000000000006f0 [1272.954474] Call Trace: [1272.954655] <TASK> [1272.954812] ? refcount_warn_saturate+0xba/0x110 [1272.955173] ? __warn.cold+0x93/0xd7 [1272.955487] ? refcount_warn_saturate+0xba/0x110 [1272.955816] ? report_bug+0xe7/0x120 [1272.956103] ? handle_bug+0x53/0x90 [1272.956424] ? exc_invalid_op+0x13/0x60 [1272.956700] ? asm_exc_invalid_op+0x16/0x20 [1272.957011] ? refcount_warn_saturate+0xba/0x110 [1272.957399] btrfs_discard_cancel_work.cold+0x26/0x2b [btrfs] [1272.957853] btrfs_put_block_group.cold+0x5d/0x8e [btrfs] [1272.958289] btrfs_discard_workfn+0x194/0x380 [btrfs] [1272.958729] process_one_work+0x130/0x290 [1272.959026] worker_thread+0x2ea/0x420 [1272.959335] ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10 [1272.959644] kthread+0xd7/0x1c0 [1272.959872] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 [1272.960172] ret_from_fork+0x30/0x50 [1272.960474] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 [1272.960745] ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 [1272.961035] </TASK> [1272.961238] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- Though we have seen them in the async discard workfn as well. It is most likely to happen after a relocation finishes which cancels discard, tears down the block group, etc. Fix this fully by taking the lock arou ---truncated---

At a glance

Exploitability

Can be exploited locally on the machine with a low-privilege account. High risk of data exposure, data tampering, service disruption.

Exploit odds

0.2% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).

Fix

A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

1. 2025-04-16 15:16 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2. 2026-10-30 13:17 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

• Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
• Exploit odds: 0.2% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
• Severity: 7.8 HIGH (CVSS).
• Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published

2025-04-16 15:16 UTC

Last modified

2026-10-30 13:17 UTC

Exploit probability

0.2% · EPSS, next 30 days

Weakness

CWE-362 · Race condition

Record status

Modified

Affected

• Linux Kernel < 6.2
• Linux Kernel < 6.5
• Linux Kernel < 6.12.40
• Linux Kernel < 6.14.2
• Linux Kernel 6.5

Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 7.8

Attack vector

Local

Complexity

Low

Privileges needed

Low

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Is it in your code?

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