Vulnerability · Published Dec 30, 2025 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2023-54224btrfs: fix lockdep splat and potential deadlock after failure running delayed items

Unrated

In plain English

A security flaw in Linux from Linux. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 10% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS )–Not rated
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 90.1% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsnot in CISA KEV
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: fix lockdep splat and potential deadlock after failure running delayed items When running delayed items we are holding a delayed node's mutex and then we will attempt to modify a subvolume btree to insert/update/delete the delayed items. However if have an error during the insertions for example, btrfs_insert_delayed_items() may return with a path that has locked extent buffers (a leaf at the very least), and then we attempt to release the delayed node at __btrfs_run_delayed_items(), which requires taking the delayed node's mutex, causing an ABBA type of deadlock. This was reported by syzbot and the lockdep splat is the following: WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected 6.5.0-rc7-syzkaller-00024-g93f5de5f648d #0 Not tainted ------------------------------------------------------ syz-executor.2/13257 is trying to acquire lock: ffff88801835c0c0 (&delayed_node->mutex){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: __btrfs_release_delayed_node+0x9a/0xaa0 fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:256 but task is already holding lock: ffff88802a5ab8e8 (btrfs-tree-00){++++}-{3:3}, at: __btrfs_tree_lock+0x3c/0x2a0 fs/btrfs/locking.c:198 which lock already depends on the new lock. the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is: -> #1 (btrfs-tree-00){++++}-{3:3}: __lock_release kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5475 [inline] lock_release+0x36f/0x9d0 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5781 up_write+0x79/0x580 kernel/locking/rwsem.c:1625 btrfs_tree_unlock_rw fs/btrfs/locking.h:189 [inline] btrfs_unlock_up_safe+0x179/0x3b0 fs/btrfs/locking.c:239 search_leaf fs/btrfs/ctree.c:1986 [inline] btrfs_search_slot+0x2511/0x2f80 fs/btrfs/ctree.c:2230 btrfs_insert_empty_items+0x9c/0x180 fs/btrfs/ctree.c:4376 btrfs_insert_delayed_item fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:746 [inline] btrfs_insert_delayed_items fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:824 [inline] __btrfs_commit_inode_delayed_items+0xd24/0x2410 fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:1111 __btrfs_run_delayed_items+0x1db/0x430 fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:1153 flush_space+0x269/0xe70 fs/btrfs/space-info.c:723 btrfs_async_reclaim_metadata_space+0x106/0x350 fs/btrfs/space-info.c:1078 process_one_work+0x92c/0x12c0 kernel/workqueue.c:2600 worker_thread+0xa63/0x1210 kernel/workqueue.c:2751 kthread+0x2b8/0x350 kernel/kthread.c:389 ret_from_fork+0x2e/0x60 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:145 ret_from_fork_asm+0x11/0x20 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:304 -> #0 (&delayed_node->mutex){+.+.}-{3:3}: check_prev_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3142 [inline] check_prevs_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3261 [inline] validate_chain kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3876 [inline] __lock_acquire+0x39ff/0x7f70 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5144 lock_acquire+0x1e3/0x520 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5761 __mutex_lock_common+0x1d8/0x2530 kernel/locking/mutex.c:603 __mutex_lock kernel/locking/mutex.c:747 [inline] mutex_lock_nested+0x1b/0x20 kernel/locking/mutex.c:799 __btrfs_release_delayed_node+0x9a/0xaa0 fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:256 btrfs_release_delayed_node fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:281 [inline] __btrfs_run_delayed_items+0x2b5/0x430 fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c:1156 btrfs_commit_transaction+0x859/0x2ff0 fs/btrfs/transaction.c:2276 btrfs_sync_file+0xf56/0x1330 fs/btrfs/file.c:1988 vfs_fsync_range fs/sync.c:188 [inline] vfs_fsync fs/sync.c:202 [inline] do_fsync fs/sync.c:212 [inline] __do_sys_fsync fs/sync.c:220 [inline] __se_sys_fsync fs/sync.c:218 [inline] __x64_sys_fsync+0x196/0x1e0 fs/sync.c:218 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x41/0xc0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd other info that ---truncated---

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:12linux6.1.55-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54224
Debian:13linux6.5.6-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54224
Debian:14linux6.5.6-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux5.15.0-94.104UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws5.15.0-1053.58UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure5.15.0-1056.64UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde5.15.0-1056.64.1UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp5.15.0-1051.59UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gke5.15.0-1050.55UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gkeop5.15.0-1036.42UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-ibm5.15.0-1046.49UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iotg5.15.0-1047.53UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-kvm5.15.0-1050.55UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency5.15.0-94.104UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia5.15.0-1044.44UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-tegra5.15.0-1022.22UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-tegra-igx5.15.0-1009.9UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle5.15.0-1051.57UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-raspi5.15.0-1046.49UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-xilinx-zynqmp5.15.0-1027.31UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54224

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 506650dcb3a716ad98681f7091ba2f8e748c04b8 – before 779c3cf2749c7a7bad6f839cb2954a25ba92f4d6506650dcb3a716ad98681f7091ba2f8e748c04b8 – before 32247b9526bfdaeef85f7339d9b4f913c7370f92506650dcb3a716ad98681f7091ba2f8e748c04b8 – before 36d918da3f1bf749178c7daf471a3be1730ed3ca506650dcb3a716ad98681f7091ba2f8e748c04b8 – before e110f8911ddb93e6f55da14ccbbe705397b30d0b
Linux Linux 5.15

References