CVE-2026-90265: btrfs: defrag: fix deadlock between defrag and delalloc space reservation

Q: Which systems are exposed to this deadlock?

Systems using the Linux kernel with Btrfs filesystems are relevant. The reported trigger involves Btrfs autodefrag and flushoncommit during filesystem stress activity.

Q: What conditions are needed to trigger the issue?

The deadlock occurs when defragmentation reserves delayed-allocation space while holding dirty and locked folios and an extent-range lock. The report observed this while running fsstress with autodefrag and flushoncommit enabled.

Q: What is the likely operational impact?

Affected tasks can enter an uninterruptible sleep state while Btrfs metadata-space reclaim and transaction processing wait on each other. This can stall filesystem-related work rather than providing an attacker with direct code execution.

Q: What can be done if the kernel fix cannot be deployed immediately?

The provided data identifies autodefrag and flushoncommit as part of the observed trigger conditions. Avoiding that combination and avoiding defragmentation-heavy stress workloads may reduce exposure until an updated kernel containing one of the referenced stable commits is installed.

Published Sep 17, 2026

Updated

btrfs: defrag: fix deadlock between defrag and delalloc space reservation

Affected Software

172 affected componentsFixes available

Open Source Linux kernel

linux/kernel>=5.16.0<6.1.191

6.1.191

linux/kernel>=6.2.0<6.6.160

6.6.160

linux/kernel>=6.7.0<6.12.114

6.12.114

linux/kernel>=6.13.0<6.18.52

6.18.52

linux/kernel>=6.19.0<7.2.6

7.2.6

debian/linux*

debian/linux<6.12.115-2

6.12.115-2

debian/linux<7.2.6-1

7.2.6-1

ubuntu/linux-hwe-edge*

ubuntu/linux-aws-5.0*

ubuntu/linux-aws-5.3*

ubuntu/linux-azure*

ubuntu/linux-azure-5.3*

ubuntu/linux-azure-edge*

ubuntu/linux-gcp*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.3*

ubuntu/linux-gke-4.15*

ubuntu/linux-gke-5.4*

ubuntu/linux-gkeop-5.4*

ubuntu/linux-hwe*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-edge*

ubuntu/linux-oem*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.0*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.3*

ubuntu/linux-aws-5.11*

ubuntu/linux-aws-5.13*

ubuntu/linux-aws-5.8*

ubuntu/linux-azure-5.11*

ubuntu/linux-azure-5.13*

ubuntu/linux-azure-5.8*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fde*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.11*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.13*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.8*

ubuntu/linux-gke*

ubuntu/linux-gke-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-gkeop*

ubuntu/linux-gkeop-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-5.11*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-5.13*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-5.8*

ubuntu/linux-intel-5.13*

ubuntu/linux-oem-5.10*

ubuntu/linux-oem-5.13*

ubuntu/linux-oem-5.6*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.11*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.13*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.8*

ubuntu/linux-raspi2*

ubuntu/linux-riscv*

ubuntu/linux-riscv-5.11*

ubuntu/linux-riscv-5.8*

ubuntu/linux-allwinner-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-aws-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-aws-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-aws-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-aws-6.8*

ubuntu/linux-azure-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-azure-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-azure-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-azure-6.8*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-6.8*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-6.8*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-ibm-6.8*

ubuntu/linux-intel-iot-realtime*

ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-6.8*

ubuntu/linux-oem-5.17*

ubuntu/linux-oem-6.0*

ubuntu/linux-oem-6.1*

ubuntu/linux-oem-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-6.8*

ubuntu/linux-realtime*

ubuntu/linux-riscv*

ubuntu/linux-riscv-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-riscv-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-riscv-6.8*

ubuntu/linux-starfive-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-starfive-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-starfive-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-realtime-6.8*

ubuntu/linux*

ubuntu/linux-aws*

ubuntu/linux-aws-6.14*

ubuntu/linux-aws-6.17*

ubuntu/linux-aws-7.0*

ubuntu/linux-azure*

ubuntu/linux-azure-6.11*

ubuntu/linux-azure-6.14*

ubuntu/linux-azure-6.17*

ubuntu/linux-azure-7.0*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fde*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-6.14*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-6.17*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-7.0*

ubuntu/linux-azure-nvidia*

ubuntu/linux-azure-nvidia-6.14*

ubuntu/linux-gcp*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-6.11*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-6.14*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-7.0*

ubuntu/linux-gke*

ubuntu/linux-gkeop*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-6.11*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-6.14*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-6.17*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-7.0<7.0.0-42.42~24.04.1

7.0.0-42.42~24.04.1

ubuntu/linux-ibm*

ubuntu/linux-lowlatency*

ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-6.11*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-6.17*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-7.0*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-lowlatency*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-tegra*

ubuntu/linux-oem-6.11*

ubuntu/linux-oem-6.14*

ubuntu/linux-oem-6.17*

ubuntu/linux-oem-6.8*

ubuntu/linux-oracle*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-6.14*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-6.17*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-7.0*

ubuntu/linux-raspi*

ubuntu/linux-raspi-realtime*

ubuntu/linux-realtime*

ubuntu/linux-riscv*

ubuntu/linux-riscv-6.14*

ubuntu/linux-riscv-6.17*

ubuntu/linux-riscv-7.0<7.0.0-42.42.1~24.04.1

7.0.0-42.42.1~24.04.1

ubuntu/linux-vmware*

ubuntu/linux-xilinx*

ubuntu/linux-bluefield*

ubuntu/linux-raspi-realtime*

ubuntu/linux-realtime*

ubuntu/linux-realtime-6.14*

ubuntu/linux-realtime-6.17*

ubuntu/linux-aws-fips*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fips*

ubuntu/linux-fips*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-fips*

ubuntu/linux<7.0.0-42.42

7.0.0-42.42

ubuntu/linux-aws<7.0.0-1016.17

7.0.0-1016.17

ubuntu/linux-azure*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fde*

ubuntu/linux-gcp<7.0.0-1016.18

7.0.0-1016.18

ubuntu/linux-gke*

ubuntu/linux-ibm<7.0.0-1017.17

7.0.0-1017.17

ubuntu/linux-nvidia*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-bos*

ubuntu/linux-oem-7.0<7.0.0-1017.17

7.0.0-1017.17

ubuntu/linux-oracle<7.0.0-1015.16

7.0.0-1015.16

ubuntu/linux-raspi*

ubuntu/linux-realtime*

ubuntu/linux-riscv<7.0.0-42.42.1

7.0.0-42.42.1

debian/linux<=6.1.176-1, <=6.1.190-1, <=6.12.107-1

6.12.116-17.2.15-17.3.3-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

Upgrade
Upgrade linux/Kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.1.191
Upgrade
Upgrade linux/Kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.6.160
Upgrade
Upgrade linux/Kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.12.114
Upgrade
Upgrade linux/Kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.18.52
Upgrade
Upgrade linux/Kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 7.2.6
Upgrade
Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.12.115-2
Upgrade
Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 7.2.6-1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-hwe-7.0 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 7.0.0-42.42~24.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-riscv-7.0 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 7.0.0-42.42.1~24.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 7.0.0-42.42
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-aws to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 7.0.0-1016.17
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-gcp to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 7.0.0-1016.18
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-ibm to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.17
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-oem-7.0 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.17
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-oracle to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 7.0.0-1015.16
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-riscv to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 7.0.0-42.42.1
Upgrade
Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.12.116-1Fixed in 7.2.15-1Fixed in 7.3.3-1

Event History

Sep 17, 2026

CVE Published

via MITRE·04:08 PM

Data Sourced

via MITRE·04:08 PM

Description

Data Sourced

via OSV·04:08 PM

DescriptionAffected Software

Data Sourced

via NVD·05:17 PM

Description

Sep 19, 2026

Data Sourced

via Microsoft·08:15 AM

DescriptionSeverityWeakness

Nov 10, 2026

Data Sourced

via OSV·02:52 AM

Severity

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

DSA-6602

Frequently Asked Questions

Which systems are exposed to this deadlock?

Systems using the Linux kernel with Btrfs filesystems are relevant. The reported trigger involves Btrfs autodefrag and flushoncommit during filesystem stress activity.

What conditions are needed to trigger the issue?

The deadlock occurs when defragmentation reserves delayed-allocation space while holding dirty and locked folios and an extent-range lock. The report observed this while running fsstress with autodefrag and flushoncommit enabled.

What is the likely operational impact?

Affected tasks can enter an uninterruptible sleep state while Btrfs metadata-space reclaim and transaction processing wait on each other. This can stall filesystem-related work rather than providing an attacker with direct code execution.

What can be done if the kernel fix cannot be deployed immediately?

The provided data identifies autodefrag and flushoncommit as part of the observed trigger conditions. Avoiding that combination and avoiding defragmentation-heavy stress workloads may reduce exposure until an updated kernel containing one of the referenced stable commits is installed.

CVE-2026-90265: btrfs: defrag: fix deadlock between defrag and delalloc space reservation

Affected Software

Remediation

Event History

Parent advisories

Frequently Asked Questions

Which systems are exposed to this deadlock?

What conditions are needed to trigger the issue?

What is the likely operational impact?

What can be done if the kernel fix cannot be deployed immediately?

Company

Resources

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