btrfs: zoned: fix deadlock between metadata writeback and transaction commit
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: zoned: fix deadlock between metadata writeback and transaction commit When writing out metadata extent buffers in a zoned filesystem, btree_writepages() holds fs_info->zoned_meta_io_lock across the whole writeback loop, including the call to btrfs_check_meta_write_pointer() -> check_bg_is_active(). For the tree-log block group, check_bg_is_active() may fail to activate the zone and fall back to btrfs_zone_finish_one_bg() to free an active zone. That path waits for the running transaction to commit while still holding zoned_meta_io_lock, but the committer needs that same lock to write out the tree extents, so the two tasks deadlock: Task A (kworker, metadata writeback) Task B (fsstress, transaction commit) ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------- wb_workfn() btrfs_commit_transaction(T) btree_writepages() btrfs_write_and_wait_transaction() btrfs_zoned_meta_io_lock() btrfs_write_marked_extents() btrfs_check_meta_write_pointer() btree_writepages() check_bg_is_active() [treelog_bg] btrfs_zoned_meta_io_lock() btrfs_zone_finish_one_bg() <blocks on zoned_meta_io_lock, btrfs_zone_finish() held by Task A> do_zone_finish() btrfs_inc_block_group_ro() btrfs_wait_for_commit() <blocks waiting for commit of transaction T, done by Task B> The sibling branch in check_bg_is_active() already drops zoned_meta_io_lock around do_zone_finish() for this exact reason. Do the same in the tree-log branch: release the lock around btrfs_zone_finish_one_bg() and re-acquire it afterwards. The lock only protects fs_info->active_{meta,system}_bg, which this branch does not touch, and ctx->zoned_bg keeps a reference to the block group across the unlock, so nothing is lost while the lock is dropped. This hang occasionally reproduces with fstests generic/475 on a zoned btrfs filesystem.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.6
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.6.151, 6.12.103, 6.18.44, 7.1.8, 7.2
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-74572
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-623q-h292-q6ff
- 2026-10-18 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Other 5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/18577e77c2c8adaadf1f7c6e9bcd1c0b14e5dcdd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c3320873e0c04ce7b746fc8fe948f07bbbbdec33
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/deddd28fd83c264ee2ff5cd6b34449a9f1be6112
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/75859a7cd77cd2ddaddbcb963e3fcd34738953af
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ebe51c29fa9755d5b2fea28727c051117907cf8
More Linux vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-74572 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-74572 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-623q-h292-q6ff · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-74572 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences