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---
Covered by Rapid7
| Product | Vendor Advisory | Solution File | Added | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux Ami 2 | — | Upgrade bpftool-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-livepatch-5.15.133-86.144Upgrade python-perfUpgrade python-perf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-toolsUpgrade perf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-headersUpgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64Upgrade perfUpgrade kernel-tools-develUpgrade kernel-develUpgrade kernelUpgrade bpftoolUpgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64Upgrade kernel-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-tools-debuginfo | May 20, 2026 | May 20, 2026 |
| Amazon_linux_2023 | — | Upgrade kernel-headersUpgrade perfUpgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64Upgrade perf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-toolsUpgrade kernel-tools-develUpgrade python3-perfUpgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64Upgrade kernelUpgrade python3-perf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-develUpgrade kernel-livepatch-6.1.55-75.123Upgrade bpftoolUpgrade kernel-tools-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-libbpfUpgrade kernel-libbpf-staticUpgrade kernel-debuginfoUpgrade bpftool-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-libbpf-devel | Feb 20, 2026 | Dec 30, 2025 |
| Debian | — | Upgrade linux | Dec 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2025 |
| Redhat_linux | — | No solution exists | Jul 17, 2026 | Dec 30, 2025 |
| Ubuntu | — | Upgrade linux-azure-5.4Upgrade linux-azure-fde-5.15Upgrade linux-gkeopUpgrade linux-azureUpgrade linux-oracle-5.15Upgrade linux-intel-iotg-5.15Upgrade linux-gcpUpgrade linux-fipsUpgrade linux-hwe-5.4Upgrade linux-xilinx-zynqmpUpgrade linux-gcp-5.4Upgrade linux-ibmUpgrade linux-hwe-5.15Upgrade linux-nvidia-tegra-igxUpgrade linux-iotUpgrade linux-intel-iot-realtimeUpgrade linux-gcp-5.15Upgrade linux-azure-5.15Upgrade linux-aws-fipsUpgrade linux-azure-fipsUpgrade linux-realtimeUpgrade linux-gcp-fipsUpgrade linux-kvmUpgrade linux-oracleUpgrade linux-nvidiaUpgrade linux-intel-iotgUpgrade linux-lowlatencyUpgrade linux-nvidia-tegraUpgrade linux-gkeUpgrade linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15Upgrade linux-bluefieldUpgrade linux-ibm-5.15Upgrade linux-riscv-5.15Upgrade linux-aws-5.15Upgrade linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15Upgrade linux-ibm-5.4Upgrade linux-raspi-5.4Upgrade linuxUpgrade linux-oracle-5.4Upgrade linux-raspiUpgrade linux-awsUpgrade linux-aws-5.4 | Jan 6, 2026 | Jan 2, 2026 |
| Vmware Photon_os | — | Use 'tdnf update' to upgrade all packages to the latest version. | May 27, 2026 | Dec 30, 2025 |
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