System crash via fatal Btrfs error assertion
Published Mar 25, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
Reachable assertion in the Linux kernel Btrfs implementation allows local users to crash the system during filesystem log replay. In link_to_fixup_dir, a BUG_ON treats any negative return from btrfs_search_slot, including legitimate -EIO and other errors, as a fatal kernel condition instead of returning the error. The path requires local access and a Btrfs mount that replays a log and encounters such a search error; the resulting kernel panic interrupts the host.
Summary
What happened
Reachable assertion in the Linux kernel Btrfs implementation allows local users to crash the system during filesystem log replay. In link_to_fixup_dir, a BUG_ON treats any negative return from btrfs_search_slot, including legitimate -EIO and other errors, as a fatal kernel condition instead of returning the error. The path requires local access and a Btrfs mount that replays a log and encounters such a search error; the resulting kernel panic interrupts the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-47145
- Published
- Mar 25, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 25, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=2.6.29
- Affected versionversion=e02119d5a7b4396c5a872582fddc8bd6d305a70a <0eaf383c6a4a83c09f60fd07a1bea9f1a9181611
- Affected versionversion=e02119d5a7b4396c5a872582fddc8bd6d305a70a <0ed102453aa1cd12fefde8f6b60b9519b0b1f003
- Affected versionversion=e02119d5a7b4396c5a872582fddc8bd6d305a70a <6eccfb28f8dca70c9b1b3bb3194ca54cbe73a9fa
- Affected versionversion=e02119d5a7b4396c5a872582fddc8bd6d305a70a <76bfd8ac20bebeae599452a03dfc5724c0475dcf
- Affected versionversion=e02119d5a7b4396c5a872582fddc8bd6d305a70a <7e13db503918820e6333811cdc6f151dcea5090a
- Affected versionversion=e02119d5a7b4396c5a872582fddc8bd6d305a70a <91df99a6eb50d5a1bc70fff4a09a0b7ae6aab96d
- Affected versionversion=e02119d5a7b4396c5a872582fddc8bd6d305a70a <b545442133580dcb2f2496133bf850824d41255c
- Affected versionversion=e02119d5a7b4396c5a872582fddc8bd6d305a70a <e934c4ee17b33bafb0444f2f9766cda7166d3c40
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Technologies
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