Bug 2436807 (CVE-2025-71194) - CVE-2025-71194 kernel: btrfs: fix deadlock in wait_current_trans() due to ignored transaction type
Summary: CVE-2025-71194 kernel: btrfs: fix deadlock in wait_current_trans() due to ign...
Keywords:
Status: NEW
Alias: CVE-2025-71194
Product: Security Response
Classification: Other
Component: vulnerability
Version: unspecified
Hardware: All
OS: Linux
low
low
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Product Security DevOps Team
QA Contact:
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2026-02-04 17:04 UTC by OSIDB Bzimport
Modified: 2026-02-04 21:10 UTC (History)
0 users

Fixed In Version:
Clone Of:
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Last Closed:
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Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-02-04 17:04:20 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

btrfs: fix deadlock in wait_current_trans() due to ignored transaction type

When wait_current_trans() is called during start_transaction(), it
currently waits for a blocked transaction without considering whether
the given transaction type actually needs to wait for that particular
transaction state. The btrfs_blocked_trans_types[] array already defines
which transaction types should wait for which transaction states, but
this check was missing in wait_current_trans().

This can lead to a deadlock scenario involving two transactions and
pending ordered extents:

  1. Transaction A is in TRANS_STATE_COMMIT_DOING state

  2. A worker processing an ordered extent calls start_transaction()
     with TRANS_JOIN

  3. join_transaction() returns -EBUSY because Transaction A is in
     TRANS_STATE_COMMIT_DOING

  4. Transaction A moves to TRANS_STATE_UNBLOCKED and completes

  5. A new Transaction B is created (TRANS_STATE_RUNNING)

  6. The ordered extent from step 2 is added to Transaction B's
     pending ordered extents

  7. Transaction B immediately starts commit by another task and
     enters TRANS_STATE_COMMIT_START

  8. The worker finally reaches wait_current_trans(), sees Transaction B
     in TRANS_STATE_COMMIT_START (a blocked state), and waits
     unconditionally

  9. However, TRANS_JOIN should NOT wait for TRANS_STATE_COMMIT_START
     according to btrfs_blocked_trans_types[]

  10. Transaction B is waiting for pending ordered extents to complete

  11. Deadlock: Transaction B waits for ordered extent, ordered extent
      waits for Transaction B

This can be illustrated by the following call stacks:
  CPU0                              CPU1
                                    btrfs_finish_ordered_io()
                                      start_transaction(TRANS_JOIN)
                                        join_transaction()
                                          # -EBUSY (Transaction A is
                                          # TRANS_STATE_COMMIT_DOING)
  # Transaction A completes
  # Transaction B created
  # ordered extent added to
  # Transaction B's pending list
  btrfs_commit_transaction()
    # Transaction B enters
    # TRANS_STATE_COMMIT_START
    # waiting for pending ordered
    # extents
                                        wait_current_trans()
                                          # waits for Transaction B
                                          # (should not wait!)

Task bstore_kv_sync in btrfs_commit_transaction waiting for ordered
extents:

  __schedule+0x2e7/0x8a0
  schedule+0x64/0xe0
  btrfs_commit_transaction+0xbf7/0xda0 [btrfs]
  btrfs_sync_file+0x342/0x4d0 [btrfs]
  __x64_sys_fdatasync+0x4b/0x80
  do_syscall_64+0x33/0x40
  entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xa9

Task kworker in wait_current_trans waiting for transaction commit:

  Workqueue: btrfs-syno_nocow btrfs_work_helper [btrfs]
  __schedule+0x2e7/0x8a0
  schedule+0x64/0xe0
  wait_current_trans+0xb0/0x110 [btrfs]
  start_transaction+0x346/0x5b0 [btrfs]
  btrfs_finish_ordered_io.isra.0+0x49b/0x9c0 [btrfs]
  btrfs_work_helper+0xe8/0x350 [btrfs]
  process_one_work+0x1d3/0x3c0
  worker_thread+0x4d/0x3e0
  kthread+0x12d/0x150
  ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30

Fix this by passing the transaction type to wait_current_trans() and
checking btrfs_blocked_trans_types[cur_trans->state] against the given
type before deciding to wait. This ensures that transaction types which
are allowed to join during certain blocked states will not unnecessarily
wait and cause deadlocks.


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