Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
btrfs: fix race between balance and cancel/pause
Syzbot reported a panic that looks like this:
assertion failed: fs_info->exclusive_operation == BTRFS_EXCLOP_BALANCE_PAUSED, in fs/btrfs/ioctl.c:465
------------[ cut here ]------------
kernel BUG at fs/btrfs/messages.c:259!
RIP: 0010:btrfs_assertfail+0x2c/0x30 fs/btrfs/messages.c:259
Call Trace:
<TASK>
btrfs_exclop_balance fs/btrfs/ioctl.c:465 [inline]
btrfs_ioctl_balance fs/btrfs/ioctl.c:3564 [inline]
btrfs_ioctl+0x531e/0x5b30 fs/btrfs/ioctl.c:4632
vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:51 [inline]
__do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:870 [inline]
__se_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:856 [inline]
__x64_sys_ioctl+0x197/0x210 fs/ioctl.c:856
do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline]
do_syscall_64+0x39/0xb0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd
The reproducer is running a balance and a cancel or pause in parallel.
The way balance finishes is a bit wonky, if we were paused we need to
save the balance_ctl in the fs_info, but clear it otherwise and cleanup.
However we rely on the return values being specific errors, or having a
cancel request or no pause request. If balance completes and returns 0,
but we have a pause or cancel request we won't do the appropriate
cleanup, and then the next time we try to start a balance we'll trip
this ASSERT.
The error handling is just wrong here, we always want to clean up,
unless we got -ECANCELLED and we set the appropriate pause flag in the
exclusive op. With this patch the reproducer ran for an hour without
tripping, previously it would trip in less than a few minutes.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 3.3 | 6.1.42 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | linux | 6.4.11-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | linux | 6.4.11-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | linux | 6.1.52-1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 22.04 LTS | linux-bluefield | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-riscv +10 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux +49 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gke +28 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | linux-gcp +14 | No fix yet | — |
Show 14 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux-hwe-edge | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS | linux-realtime +1 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 20.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 18.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 16.04 LTS | linux-fips | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 20.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 18.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 16.04 LTS | linux-fips | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-preview 22.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux +21 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | linux +12 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | linux +7 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | linux +3 | No fix yet | — |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 SP7 | kernel-64kb +6 | 6.4.0-150700.53.28.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0315-1 |
| SLES 15 SP7 | kernel-azure +2 | 6.4.0-150700.20.24.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0281-1 |
| SLES 15 SP7 | kernel-default-base | 6.4.0-150700.53.28.1.150700.17.19.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0315-1 |
| SLES 15 SP6 | kernel-64kb +6 | 6.4.0-150600.23.84.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0293-1 |
| SLES 15 SP6 | kernel-default-base | 6.4.0-150600.23.84.1.150600.12.38.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0293-1 |
Show 6 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 15 SP6 | kernel-default-base | 6.4.0-150600.23.84.1.150600.12.38.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0293-1 |
| SLES for SAP 15 SP6 | kernel-docs +4 | 6.4.0-150600.23.84.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0293-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.1 | kernel-default-base | 6.4.0-39.1.21.16 | SUSE-SU-2026:20498-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.1 | kernel-rt +1 | 6.4.0-40.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:20876-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.1 | kernel-source +2 | 6.4.0-39.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:20498-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.0 | kernel-default-base | 6.4.0-39.1.21.16 | SUSE-SU-2026:20477-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.0 | kernel-rt +1 | 6.4.0-40.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:20845-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.0 | kernel-source +2 | 6.4.0-39.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:20477-1 |
| SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 | kernel-default | 6.4.0-150700.53.28.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0315-1 |
| SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 | kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_8 | 1-150700.1.3.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0278-1 |
| SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 | kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_8 | 1-150700.15.3.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0315-1 |
| SLE Live Patching 15 SP6 | kernel-default | 6.4.0-150600.23.84.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0293-1 |
| SLE Live Patching 15 SP6 | kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6_Update_19 | 1-150600.13.3.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0293-1 |
| SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP7 | kernel-rt +2 | 6.4.0-150700.7.28.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0278-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | dtb-aarch64 +10 | 6.4.0-150600.23.84.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0293-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | kernel-default-base | 6.4.0-150600.23.84.1.150600.12.38.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:0293-1 |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2023 | kernel-livepatch-6.1.49-69.116 | 1.0-0.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2023-330 |
| Amazon Linux 2023 | perf +12 | 6.1.49-69.116.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2023-330 |
Advisories 10
- WID-SEC-2025-2920 Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 12, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:20876-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 31, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:20845-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 28, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:20498-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:20477-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:0293-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:0281-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:0278-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:0315-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- ALAS2023-2023-330 Important: kernel security update (Amazon Linux 2023) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Feb 11, 2026