CVE-2025-37904

Kernel crash via unreleased btrfs inode

Published May 20, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Missing resource release in Linux btrfs 6.13 through 6.14.5 and 6.15-rc1 through 6.15-rc4 allows local users to crash the kernel. When btrfs_alloc_path() fails, btrfs_iget() returns without calling iget_failed() on the inode created by btrfs_iget_locked(), leaving it busy at unmount. Exploitation requires local privileges sufficient to exercise a crafted btrfs filesystem and the allocation-failure path; the bounded consequence is a kernel BUG and host service interruption.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.16%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Missing resource release in Linux btrfs 6.13 through 6.14.5 and 6.15-rc1 through 6.15-rc4 allows local users to crash the kernel. When btrfs_alloc_path() fails, btrfs_iget() returns without calling iget_failed() on the inode created by btrfs_iget_locked(), leaving it busy at unmount. Exploitation requires local privileges sufficient to exercise a crafted btrfs filesystem and the allocation-failure path; the bounded consequence is a kernel BUG and host service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-37904
Published
May 20, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 20, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=6.13
  2. Affected versionversion=7c855e16ab72596d771355050ffe026e6b99f91c <30a339bece3a44ab0a821477139e84fb86af9761
  3. Affected versionversion=7c855e16ab72596d771355050ffe026e6b99f91c <48c1d1bb525b1c44b8bdc8e7ec5629cb6c2b9fc4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.13; version=7c855e16ab72596d771355050ffe026e6b99f91c <30a339bece3a44ab0a821477139e84fb86af9761; version=7c855e16ab72596d771355050ffe026e6b99f91c <48c1d1bb525b1c44b8bdc8e7ec5629cb6c2b9fc4

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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