Kernel crash via dangling Btrfs relocation root
Published Sep 24, 2026 · Updated Sep 24, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux Btrfs 6.12 before 6.12.111 and 6.18 before 6.18.53 allows local users to crash the kernel on unmount. When btrfs_update_reloc_root() fails, insert_dirty_subvol() omits the root from dirty_subvol_roots, so cleanup frees the relocation root without clearing root->reloc_root. Reaching the faulty path requires privileged Btrfs balance or relocation activity plus an I/O failure; btrfs_put_root() later uses the dangling pointer, causing a kernel crash or double-free attempt.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux Btrfs 6.12 before 6.12.111 and 6.18 before 6.18.53 allows local users to crash the kernel on unmount. When btrfs_update_reloc_root() fails, insert_dirty_subvol() omits the root from dirty_subvol_roots, so cleanup frees the relocation root without clearing root->reloc_root. Reaching the faulty path requires privileged Btrfs balance or relocation activity plus an I/O failure; btrfs_put_root() later uses the dangling pointer, causing a kernel crash or double-free attempt.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-93800
- Published
- Sep 24, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 24, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 24, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 24, 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=0 <6.12.111
- Affected versionversion=0 <6.18.53
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <83201804efa4a5168be754e1dfc9b2faee760cac
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <97a540d72ebcb21853d11f2a56782fe377f358e7
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <fda1b6636ff1846f00643e791099db5564b547d9
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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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.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Syzkaller Btrfs relocation reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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