CVE-2026-98091

Kernel crash via failed Btrfs device addition

Published Sep 25, 2026 · Updated Sep 25, 2026

Use-after-free in Linux Btrfs allows local users to crash the kernel by provoking failure while adding a writable device to a seed filesystem. The btrfs_init_new_device() error path frees the new device without removing post_commit_list from the transaction dev_update_list, leaving a dangling list entry. Triggering the demonstrated crash requires local device-management privileges, a seed filesystem, and an induced failure after metadata-chunk creation.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Oct 19, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in Linux Btrfs allows local users to crash the kernel by provoking failure while adding a writable device to a seed filesystem. The btrfs_init_new_device() error path frees the new device without removing post_commit_list from the transaction dev_update_list, leaving a dangling list entry. Triggering the demonstrated crash requires local device-management privileges, a seed filesystem, and an induced failure after metadata-chunk creation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-98091
Published
Sep 25, 2026
Updated
Sep 25, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=5.2
  2. Affected versionversion=bbbf7243d62d8be73b7ef60721c127b36b2d523e <0ea6814bc0ff7cff443241bd34db9f0f828f3190
  3. Affected versionversion=bbbf7243d62d8be73b7ef60721c127b36b2d523e <8b001df2b37ca022f710f3254fbb0bcd6d9e1bed
  4. Affected versionversion=bbbf7243d62d8be73b7ef60721c127b36b2d523e <c93b3c43df561cd9f592cee20ae058b563f9e5b6
  5. Affected versionversion=bbbf7243d62d8be73b7ef60721c127b36b2d523e <e9e7e37afa85db770e6084360b21a21a8b3a583f

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.2; version=bbbf7243d62d8be73b7ef60721c127b36b2d523e <0ea6814bc0ff7cff443241bd34db9f0f828f3190; version=bbbf7243d62d8be73b7ef60721c127b36b2d523e <8b001df2b37ca022f710f3254fbb0bcd6d9e1bed; version=bbbf7243d62d8be73b7ef60721c127b36b2d523e <c93b3c43df561cd9f592cee20ae058b563f9e5b6; version=bbbf7243d62d8be73b7ef60721c127b36b2d523e <e9e7e37afa85db770e6084360b21a21a8b3a583f

Published CVSS scores

No CVSS assessment is available in this record.

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.

Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.

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

No observations available

Sep 22, 2026Sep 28, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 28, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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