Kernel memory leak via unreleased btrfs I/O contexts
Published Sep 25, 2026 · Updated Sep 25, 2026
Memory leak in the btrfs RAID stripe tree in Linux 6.6.130 through 6.7 retains kernel memory when ordered-extent I/O fails. btrfs_insert_raid_extent returns after btrfs_insert_one_raid_extent fails without freeing remaining I/O contexts, while the ordered-extent I/O-error path skips cleanup entirely. Reachability requires a btrfs filesystem using the RAID stripe tree and either an insertion failure or an ordered-extent I/O error; the documented consequence is retained kernel memory.
Summary
What happened
Memory leak in the btrfs RAID stripe tree in Linux 6.6.130 through 6.7 retains kernel memory when ordered-extent I/O fails. btrfs_insert_raid_extent returns after btrfs_insert_one_raid_extent fails without freeing remaining I/O contexts, while the ordered-extent I/O-error path skips cleanup entirely. Reachability requires a btrfs filesystem using the RAID stripe tree and either an insertion failure or an ordered-extent I/O error; the documented consequence is retained kernel memory.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98082
- Published
- Sep 25, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 25, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 25, 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=02c372e1f016e5113217597ab37b399c4e407477 <1b4d4e890c2c85d0f6365b5a08c48b4bbf85deb0
- Affected versionversion=02c372e1f016e5113217597ab37b399c4e407477 <83f0c973cffb184d019390ffdb5d31de5c85bc61
- Affected versionversion=02c372e1f016e5113217597ab37b399c4e407477 <afbe73778338e6d1ac8c4486fbdf33f0cc1f2624
- Affected versionversion=02c372e1f016e5113217597ab37b399c4e407477 <bb4da45766d16503821f167054db76b735d89e94
- Affected versionversion=6.6.130 <6.7
- Affected versionversion=6.7
- Affected versionversion=ab69bf6f8970c09d3735c25094e9471d54365282
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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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
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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