CVE-2026-23018

linux: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: release path before initializing extent t...

CVE-2026-23018 is fixed in 14 products on 1 platform, first by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-23018, released January 31, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: Routine.

Routine
CVSS
5.5
medium
Exploitation
None reported
No vendor assessment
CISA KEV
Not listed
Not in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
EPSS
0.0012
1st percentile

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: release path before initializing extent tree in btrfs_read_locked_inode() In btrfs_read_locked_inode() we are calling btrfs_init_file_extent_tree() while holding a path with a read locked leaf from a subvolume tree, and btrfs_init_file_extent_tree() may do a GFP_KERNEL allocation, which can trigger reclaim. This can create a circular lock dependency which lockdep warns about with the following splat: [6.1433] ====================================================== [6.1574] WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected [6.1583] 6.18.0+ #4 Tainted: G U [6.1591] ------------------------------------------------------ [6.1599] kswapd0/117 is trying to acquire lock: [6.1606] ffff8d9b6333c5b8 (&delayed_node->mutex){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: __btrfs_release_delayed_node.part.0+0x39/0x2f0 [6.1625] but task is already holding lock: [6.1633] ffffffffa4ab8ce0 (fs_reclaim){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: balance_pgdat+0x195/0xc60 [6.1646] which lock already depends on the new lock. [6.1657] the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is: [6.1667] -> #2 (fs_reclaim){+.+.}-{0:0}: [6.1677] fs_reclaim_acquire+0x9d/0xd0 [6.1685] __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x59/0x750 [6.1694] btrfs_init_file_extent_tree+0x90/0x100 [6.1702] btrfs_read_locked_inode+0xc3/0x6b0 [6.1710] btrfs_iget+0xbb/0xf0 [6.1716] btrfs_lookup_dentry+0x3c5/0x8e0 [6.1724] btrfs_lookup+0x12/0x30 [6.1731] lookup_open.isra.0+0x1aa/0x6a0 [6.1739] path_openat+0x5f7/0xc60 [6.1746] do_filp_open+0xd6/0x180 [6.1753] do_sys_openat2+0x8b/0xe0 [6.1760] __x64_sys_openat+0x54/0xa0 [6.1768] do_syscall_64+0x97/0x3e0 [6.1776] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e [6.1784] -> #1 (btrfs-tree-00){++++}-{3:3}: [6.1794] lock_release+0x127/0x2a0 [6.1801] up_read+0x1b/0x30 [6.1808] btrfs_search_slot+0x8e0/0xff0 [6.1817] btrfs_lookup_inode+0x52/0xd0 [6.1825] __btrfs_update_delayed_inode+0x73/0x520 [6.1833] btrfs_commit_inode_delayed_inode+0x11a/0x120 [6.1842] btrfs_log_inode+0x608/0x1aa0 [6.1849] btrfs_log_inode_parent+0x249/0xf80 [6.1857] btrfs_log_dentry_safe+0x3e/0x60 [6.1865] btrfs_sync_file+0x431/0x690 [6.1872] do_fsync+0x39/0x80 [6.1879] __x64_sys_fsync+0x13/0x20 [6.1887] do_syscall_64+0x97/0x3e0 [6.1894] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e [6.1903] -> #0 (&delayed_node->mutex){+.+.}-{3:3}: [6.1913] __lock_acquire+0x15e9/0x2820 [6.1920] lock_acquire+0xc9/0x2d0 [6.1927] __mutex_lock+0xcc/0x10a0 [6.1934] __btrfs_release_delayed_node.part.0+0x39/0x2f0 [6.1944] btrfs_evict_inode+0x20b/0x4b0 [6.1952] evict+0x15a/0x2f0 [6.1958] prune_icache_sb+0x91/0xd0 [6.1966] super_cache_scan+0x150/0x1d0 [6.1974] do_shrink_slab+0x155/0x6f0 [6.1981] shrink_slab+0x48e/0x890 [6.1988] shrink_one+0x11a/0x1f0 [6.1995] shrink_node+0xbfd/0x1320 [6.1002] balance_pgdat+0x67f/0xc60 [6.1321] kswapd+0x1dc/0x3e0 [6.1643] kthread+0xff/0x240 [6.1965] ret_from_fork+0x223/0x280 [6.1287] ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 [6.1616] other info that might help us debug this: [6.1561] Chain exists of: &delayed_node->mutex --> btrfs-tree-00 --> fs_reclaim [6.1503] Possible unsafe locking scenario: [6.1110] CPU0 CPU1 [6.1411] ---- ---- [6.1707] lock(fs_reclaim); [6.1998] lock(btrfs-tree-00); [6.1291] lock(fs_reclaim); [6.1581] lock(&del ---truncated---

Where it's fixed

ProductFixed inFixReleased
Linux
dtb-aarch64 · opensuse-leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 OPENSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-64kb · opensuse-leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 OPENSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-64kb · sles 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-azure · opensuse-leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 OPENSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-azure · sles 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-default · opensuse-leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 OPENSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-default · sles 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-default-base · opensuse-leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1.160000.2.8 OPENSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-default-base · sles 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1.160000.2.8 SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-docs · opensuse-leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 OPENSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-docs · sles 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-kvmsmall · opensuse-leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 OPENSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-kvmsmall · sles 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-obs-build · opensuse-leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 OPENSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-obs-qa · opensuse-leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 OPENSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-obs-qa · sles 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-rt · opensuse-leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 OPENSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-source · opensuse-leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 OPENSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-source · sles 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-syms · opensuse-leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 OPENSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-syms · sles 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-zfcpdump · opensuse-leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 OPENSUSE-SU-2026:20416-1 Mar 25, 2026
kernel-zfcpdump · sles 16.0 6.12.0-160000.27.1 SUSE-SU-2026:20931-1 Mar 25, 2026
linux · Debian 14 6.18.8-1 DEBIAN-CVE-2026-23018 Jan 31, 2026

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