CVE-2022-48920: btrfs: get rid of warning on transaction commit when using flushoncommit
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
btrfs: get rid of warning on transaction commit when using flushoncommit
When using the flushoncommit mount option, during almost every transaction
commit we trigger a warning from __writeback_inodes_sb_nr():
$ cat fs/fs-writeback.c:
(...)
static void __writeback_inodes_sb_nr(struct super_block *sb, ...
{
(...)
WARN_ON(!rwsem_is_locked(&sb->s_umount));
(...)
}
(...)
The trace produced in dmesg looks like the following:
[947.473890] WARNING: CPU: 5 PID: 930 at fs/fs-writeback.c:2610 __writeback_inodes_sb_nr+0x7e/0xb3
[947.481623] Modules linked in: nfsd nls_cp437 cifs asn1_decoder cifs_arc4 fscache cifs_md4 ipmi_ssif
[947.489571] CPU: 5 PID: 930 Comm: btrfs-transacti Not tainted 95.16.3-srb-asrock-00001-g36437ad63879 #186
[947.497969] RIP: 0010:__writeback_inodes_sb_nr+0x7e/0xb3
[947.502097] Code: 24 10 4c 89 44 24 18 c6 (...)
[947.519760] RSP: 0018:ffffc90000777e10 EFLAGS: 00010246
[947.523818] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 0000000000963300 RCX: 0000000000000000
[947.529765] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 000000000000fa51 RDI: ffffc90000777e50
[947.535740] RBP: ffff888101628a90 R08: ffff888100955800 R09: ffff888100956000
[947.541701] R10: 0000000000000002 R11: 0000000000000001 R12: ffff888100963488
[947.547645] R13: ffff888100963000 R14: ffff888112fb7200 R15: ffff888100963460
[947.553621] FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff88841fd40000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
[947.560537] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
[947.565122] CR2: 0000000008be50c4 CR3: 000000000220c000 CR4: 00000000001006e0
[947.571072] Call Trace:
[947.572354] <TASK>
[947.573266] btrfs_commit_transaction+0x1f1/0x998
[947.576785] ? start_transaction+0x3ab/0x44e
[947.579867] ? schedule_timeout+0x8a/0xdd
[947.582716] transaction_kthread+0xe9/0x156
[947.585721] ? btrfs_cleanup_transaction.isra.0+0x407/0x407
[947.590104] kthread+0x131/0x139
[947.592168] ? set_kthread_struct+0x32/0x32
[947.595174] ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30
[947.597561] </TASK>
[947.598553] ---[ end trace 644721052755541c ]---
This is because we started using writeback_inodes_sb() to flush delalloc
when committing a transaction (when using -o flushoncommit), in order to
avoid deadlocks with filesystem freeze operations. This change was made
by commit ce8ea7cc6eb313 ("btrfs: don't call btrfs_start_delalloc_roots
in flushoncommit"). After that change we started producing that warning,
and every now and then a user reports this since the warning happens too
often, it spams dmesg/syslog, and a user is unsure if this reflects any
problem that might compromise the filesystem's reliability.
We can not just lock the sb->s_umount semaphore before calling
writeback_inodes_sb(), because that would at least deadlock with
filesystem freezing, since at fs/super.c:freeze_super() sync_filesystem()
is called while we are holding that semaphore in write mode, and that can
trigger a transaction commit, resulting in a deadlock. It would also
trigger the same type of deadlock in the unmount path. Possibly, it could
also introduce some other locking dependencies that lockdep would report.
To fix this call try_to_writeback_inodes_sb() instead of
writeback_inodes_sb(), because that will try to read lock sb->s_umount
and then will only call writeback_inodes_sb() if it was able to lock it.
This is fine because the cases where it can't read lock sb->s_umount
are during a filesystem unmount or during a filesystem freeze - in those
cases sb->s_umount is write locked and sync_filesystem() is called, which
calls writeback_inodes_sb(). In other words, in all cases where we can't
take a read lock on sb->s_umount, writeback is already being triggered
elsewhere.
An alternative would be to call btrfs_start_delalloc_roots() with a
number of pages different from LONG_MAX, for example matching the number
of delalloc bytes we currently have, in
---truncated---
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This Linux kernel issue affects Btrfs systems using the flushoncommit mount option. It repeatedly triggers kernel warnings during transaction commits, creating noisy logs and uncertainty about filesystem health. The source describes a kernel-side fix, but does not show active exploitation or data loss.
Executive priority
Treat this as a low-priority kernel maintenance item unless noisy logs are disrupting operations or compliance monitoring. Prioritize normal patch cycles and affected asset identification.
Technical view
Btrfs used writeback_inodes_sb() during flushoncommit transaction commits, triggering a WARN_ON because sb->s_umount was not locked. Directly taking that lock could deadlock during freeze or unmount paths. The fix uses try_to_writeback_inodes_sb(), which only proceeds when the read lock is available.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Linux systems using Btrfs with the flushoncommit mount option on affected kernel versions or affected backported commits. Exact exposure depends on distribution kernel packaging and backports.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not indicate active exploitation, and KEV status is false. The documented condition is operational: repeated warnings during Btrfs transaction commits with flushoncommit enabled.
Researcher notes
Evidence points to a correctness and warning-spam fix in Btrfs writeback locking behavior, not a demonstrated privilege escalation or remote attack path. Affected-version data is limited; distro backports need separate confirmation.
Mitigation direction
Update to a Linux kernel build containing the referenced stable fixes.
Check distribution advisories for backported fixes before assuming version numbers are definitive.
Inventory Btrfs filesystems using the flushoncommit mount option.
Review dmesg and syslog noise for repeated Btrfs transaction warnings.
Avoid changing mount behavior without vendor guidance and operational testing.
Validation and detection
Confirm affected systems run Linux with Btrfs enabled.
Check mount options for flushoncommit on Btrfs filesystems.
Compare installed kernel builds against vendor advisories and referenced stable commits.
Review kernel logs for the documented __writeback_inodes_sb_nr warning.
After patching, confirm transaction commits no longer produce repeated warnings.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
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CVE-2022-48920 mapping review
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