Kernel crash via unchecked btrfs root
Published Jan 8, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in Linux btrfs allows local users to crash the kernel during scrub of a corrupted filesystem. The btrfs_search_slot function dereferences a null extent-tree root without checking it when scrub gathers extent information. Triggering the fault requires rescue=ibadroots, corrupted extent-tree metadata, and an attempted scrub; the resulting service interruption is a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in Linux btrfs allows local users to crash the kernel during scrub of a corrupted filesystem. The btrfs_search_slot function dereferences a null extent-tree root without checking it when scrub gathers extent information. Triggering the fault requires rescue=ibadroots, corrupted extent-tree metadata, and an attempted scrub; the resulting service interruption is a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-56774
- Published
- Jan 8, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 8, 2025CVE 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=42437a6386ffeaaf200731e73d723ea491f3fe7d <3ed51857a50f530ac7a1482e069dfbd1298558d4
- Affected versionversion=42437a6386ffeaaf200731e73d723ea491f3fe7d <757171d1369b3b47f36932d40a05a0715496dcab
- Affected versionversion=42437a6386ffeaaf200731e73d723ea491f3fe7d <93992c3d9629b02dccf6849238559d5c24f2dece
- Affected versionversion=42437a6386ffeaaf200731e73d723ea491f3fe7d <c71d114ef68c95da5a82ec85a721ab31f5bd905b
- Affected versionversion=42437a6386ffeaaf200731e73d723ea491f3fe7d <db66fb87c21e8ae724886e6a464dcbac562a64c6
- Affected versionversion=5.11
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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