Write interruption via zoned metadata writeback ordering
Published Sep 17, 2026 · Updated Sep 17, 2026
Writeback failure in Linux Btrfs 6.6 allows local users to interrupt filesystem writes via metadata relocation on zoned storage. In fs/btrfs/extent_io.c, btree_writepages() visits lower-address dirty metadata before flushing the higher-address active block group; btrfs_write_and_wait_transaction() treats the resulting -EAGAIN as fatal. The failure requires zoned Btrfs and occurs intermittently during metadata-heavy relocation, aborting the transaction and forcing the filesystem read-only rather than crashing the host.
Summary
What happened
Writeback failure in Linux Btrfs 6.6 allows local users to interrupt filesystem writes via metadata relocation on zoned storage. In fs/btrfs/extent_io.c, btree_writepages() visits lower-address dirty metadata before flushing the higher-address active block group; btrfs_write_and_wait_transaction() treats the resulting -EAGAIN as fatal. The failure requires zoned Btrfs and occurs intermittently during metadata-heavy relocation, aborting the transaction and forcing the filesystem read-only rather than crashing the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-90261
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 17, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 17, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 17, 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=13bb483d32abb6f8ebd40141d87eb68f11cc2dd2 <e2de2989adb3e58c2320e57c255f52e065667b5e
- Affected versionversion=13bb483d32abb6f8ebd40141d87eb68f11cc2dd2 <ecc05eda9a346848ae01a6c8bfa3f0bec133bd8b
- Affected versionversion=6.5.5 <6.6
- Affected versionversion=6.6
- Affected versionversion=fca3a1cd3ba47f1815e0c0fcdc9aafaf02ee0a75
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
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