Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A Linux Btrfs flaw can access memory after a storage device object has been freed during device replacement. The demonstrated result was a kernel memory-safety failure. Successful exploitation could threaten system confidentiality, integrity, and availability, but the supplied evidence does not demonstrate real-world exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority kernel update for zoned-Btrfs systems, particularly shared or locally accessible hosts. Other systems should follow normal kernel patching after confirming applicability. No supplied evidence supports emergency incident response solely because of this CVE.
Technical view
A race between Btrfs device-replacement completion and the cleaner thread leaves do_zone_finish() using stale zone information from a freed btrfs_device. KASAN detected a slab use-after-free during fstests btrfs/070. The CVSS 3.1 score is 7.8, requiring local access and low privileges without user interaction.
Likely exposure
Exposure is concentrated in Linux systems using zoned Btrfs where device replacement can overlap unused-block-group cleanup. The record identifies affected ranges beginning at 5.18 and names 6.8.3 and 6.9 as endpoints. Distribution backports and exact package status require vendor confirmation.
Exploitation context
The CVE is not listed as KEV in the supplied bundle, and no source provided here reports active exploitation. The documented trigger arose during a Btrfs device-replacement test. CVSS describes a local, low-privilege attack path, but the evidence does not establish practical exploitability beyond the observed use-after-free.
Researcher notes
The fault involves stale device-zone state surviving mapping-tree replacement while the original btrfs_device is freed. A cleaner thread later dereferences that state in do_zone_finish(). The supplied description is truncated and provides no CWE, exploit proof, or distro-specific fixed-package matrix; conclusions about weaponization or broader triggers would be speculative.
Mitigation direction
- Update to a vendor-supported kernel package that documents CVE-2024-26944 as fixed.
- Confirm the installed kernel includes the applicable upstream stable fix or distribution backport.
- Until patched, restrict low-privilege local access on exposed systems.
- Avoid unnecessary zoned-Btrfs device replacements until vendor remediation is applied.
Validation and detection
- Inventory systems using Btrfs and identify filesystems backed by zoned devices.
- Compare installed kernel versions and vendor changelogs against CVE-2024-26944 remediation status.
- Verify whether either cited stable-kernel fix commit is included or backported.
- Review kernel logs for Btrfs cleaner failures, KASAN reports, crashes, or device-replacement anomalies.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CVE-2024-26944 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9LinuxVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/34ca809e055eca5cfe63d9c7efbf80b7c21b4e57CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ec17ef59168a1a6f1105f5dc517f783839a5302CVE reference, Linux
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.