Resource leak via stale relocation-root references
Published Sep 11, 2026 · Updated Sep 11, 2026
Improper resource cleanup in Linux 5.7 allows attackers to retain btrfs relocation-root references during failed recovery. In btrfs_recover_relocation(), the out_unset path clears neither fs_root->reloc_root pointers nor their owned references after a later root load, insertion, or first transaction commit fails. Reachability requires privileged mounting of a pending-relocation btrfs image plus a recovery error; the demonstrated consequence is leaked references before the mount fails.
Summary
What happened
Improper resource cleanup in Linux 5.7 allows attackers to retain btrfs relocation-root references during failed recovery. In btrfs_recover_relocation(), the out_unset path clears neither fs_root->reloc_root pointers nor their owned references after a later root load, insertion, or first transaction commit fails. Reachability requires privileged mounting of a pending-relocation btrfs image plus a recovery error; the demonstrated consequence is leaked references before the mount fails.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-89645
- Published
- Sep 11, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 11, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 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=5.7
- Affected versionversion=f44deb7442edf42abee6be25fca7e3e86061b4c9 <2256d6dc5b88841a8a8b4fd9a9f04730705fb6fd
- Affected versionversion=f44deb7442edf42abee6be25fca7e3e86061b4c9 <4d43107e807bcd92621106b07f5011411c6341a8
- Affected versionversion=f44deb7442edf42abee6be25fca7e3e86061b4c9 <6d8ba4572922e336f0b59a80751b018e1e135164
- Affected versionversion=f44deb7442edf42abee6be25fca7e3e86061b4c9 <8a64baeb5bbb706b83d2235c1e39f5b77183817f
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
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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