Local kernel crash via unchecked btrfs error
Published Sep 4, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
Improper error handling in affected Linux kernel releases starting with 4.11 allows local users to crash the kernel through btrfs. btrfs_free_tree_block() invokes BUG_ON() rather than returning a delayed-reference error propagated from btrfs_qgroup_trace_extent_post(). Reachability requires btrfs qgroups and an error during delayed-reference creation, such as allocation failure; the assertion stops the running kernel.
Summary
What happened
Improper error handling in affected Linux kernel releases starting with 4.11 allows local users to crash the kernel through btrfs. btrfs_free_tree_block() invokes BUG_ON() rather than returning a delayed-reference error propagated from btrfs_qgroup_trace_extent_post(). Reachability requires btrfs qgroups and an error during delayed-reference creation, such as allocation failure; the assertion stops the running kernel.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-44963
- Published
- Sep 4, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 4, 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=4.11
- Affected versionversion=fb235dc06fac9eaa4408ade9c8b20d45d63c89b7 <22d907bcd283d69d5e60497fc0d51969545c583b
- Affected versionversion=fb235dc06fac9eaa4408ade9c8b20d45d63c89b7 <98251cd60b4d702a8a81de442ab621e83a3fb24f
- Affected versionversion=fb235dc06fac9eaa4408ade9c8b20d45d63c89b7 <bb3868033a4cccff7be57e9145f2117cbdc91c11
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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