Vulnerability · Published Jan 23, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2025-71159btrfs: fix use-after-free warning in btrfs_get_or_create_delayed_node()

Critical 9.8

In plain English

A critical-severity 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 16% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)9.8Critical
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 84.0% 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 use-after-free warning in btrfs_get_or_create_delayed_node() Previously, btrfs_get_or_create_delayed_node() set the delayed_node's refcount before acquiring the root->delayed_nodes lock. Commit e8513c012de7 ("btrfs: implement ref_tracker for delayed_nodes") moved refcount_set inside the critical section, which means there is no longer a memory barrier between setting the refcount and setting btrfs_inode->delayed_node. Without that barrier, the stores to node->refs and btrfs_inode->delayed_node may become visible out of order. Another thread can then read btrfs_inode->delayed_node and attempt to increment a refcount that hasn't been set yet, leading to a refcounting bug and a use-after-free warning. The fix is to move refcount_set back to where it was to take advantage of the implicit memory barrier provided by lock acquisition. Because the allocations now happen outside of the lock's critical section, they can use GFP_NOFS instead of GFP_ATOMIC.

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:14linux6.18.8-1DEBIAN-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-71159

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux e8513c012de75fd65e2df5499572bc6ef3f6e409 – before c8385851a5435f4006281828d428e5d0b0bbf8afe8513c012de75fd65e2df5499572bc6ef3f6e409 – before 83f59076a1ae6f5c6845d6f7ed3a1a373d883684
Linux Linux 6.18

References