CVE-2026-98279

btrfs: handle lack of space when cleaning up verity items

Published Oct 6, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

btrfs: handle lack of space when cleaning up verity items

When enable_verity() hits the qgroup limit, rollback_verity() needs its
own metadata reservation. When the qgroup limit or lack of space refuses
the rollback, the whole filesystem is forced read-only even though the
qgroup limit was for one subvolume only. Also orphan cleanup at the next
mount fails the same way, so the leftover items are never removed: with
-EDQUOT the subvolume stays unreachable, and with -ENOSPC on a full
filesystem the next read-write mount fails.

Start transactions with btrfs_start_transaction_fallback_global_rsv() in
btrfs_orphan_cleanup(), drop_verity_items() and rollback_verity(). Those
calls only delete items and free the space in the end, so they may use
the global reserve and skip the qgroup limit, which avoids -ENOSPC and
-EDQUOT.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9019-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9020-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-399
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-459
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-399
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: handle lack of space when cleaning up verity items When enable_verity() hits the qgroup limit, rollback_verity() needs its own metadata reservation. When the qgroup limit or lack of space refuses the rollback, the whole filesystem is forced read-only even though the qgroup limit was for one subvolume only. Also orphan cleanup at the next mount fails the same way, so the leftover items are never removed: with -EDQUOT the subvolume stays unreachable, and with -ENOSPC on a full filesystem the next read-write mount fails. Start transactions with btrfs_start_transaction_fallback_global_rsv() in btrfs_orphan_cleanup(), drop_verity_items() and rollback_verity(). Those calls only delete items and free the space in the end, so they may use the global reserve and skip the qgroup limit, which avoids -ENOSPC and -EDQUOT.
Title btrfs: handle lack of space when cleaning up verity items
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Oct 19, 2026, 9:16 AM
Reserved
Sep 25, 2026, 10:25 AM
Status
Received
Published
Oct 6, 2026, 9:18 AM
Modified
Oct 19, 2026, 10:18 AM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Oct 6, 2026, 12:00 AM