CVE-2025-38503: btrfs: fix assertion when building free space tree
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
btrfs: fix assertion when building free space tree
When building the free space tree with the block group tree feature
enabled, we can hit an assertion failure like this:
BTRFS info (device loop0 state M): rebuilding free space tree
assertion failed: ret == 0, in fs/btrfs/free-space-tree.c:1102
------------[ cut here ]------------
kernel BUG at fs/btrfs/free-space-tree.c:1102!
Internal error: Oops - BUG: 00000000f2000800 [#1] SMP
Modules linked in:
CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 6592 Comm: syz-executor322 Not tainted 6.15.0-rc7-syzkaller-gd7fa1af5b33e #0 PREEMPT
Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 05/07/2025
pstate: 60400005 (nZCv daif +PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--)
pc : populate_free_space_tree+0x514/0x518 fs/btrfs/free-space-tree.c:1102
lr : populate_free_space_tree+0x514/0x518 fs/btrfs/free-space-tree.c:1102
sp : ffff8000a4ce7600
x29: ffff8000a4ce76e0 x28: ffff0000c9bc6000 x27: ffff0000ddfff3d8
x26: ffff0000ddfff378 x25: dfff800000000000 x24: 0000000000000001
x23: ffff8000a4ce7660 x22: ffff70001499cecc x21: ffff0000e1d8c160
x20: ffff0000e1cb7800 x19: ffff0000e1d8c0b0 x18: 00000000ffffffff
x17: ffff800092f39000 x16: ffff80008ad27e48 x15: ffff700011e740c0
x14: 1ffff00011e740c0 x13: 0000000000000004 x12: ffffffffffffffff
x11: ffff700011e740c0 x10: 0000000000ff0100 x9 : 94ef24f55d2dbc00
x8 : 94ef24f55d2dbc00 x7 : 0000000000000001 x6 : 0000000000000001
x5 : ffff8000a4ce6f98 x4 : ffff80008f415ba0 x3 : ffff800080548ef0
x2 : 0000000000000000 x1 : 0000000100000000 x0 : 000000000000003e
Call trace:
populate_free_space_tree+0x514/0x518 fs/btrfs/free-space-tree.c:1102 (P)
btrfs_rebuild_free_space_tree+0x14c/0x54c fs/btrfs/free-space-tree.c:1337
btrfs_start_pre_rw_mount+0xa78/0xe10 fs/btrfs/disk-io.c:3074
btrfs_remount_rw fs/btrfs/super.c:1319 [inline]
btrfs_reconfigure+0x828/0x2418 fs/btrfs/super.c:1543
reconfigure_super+0x1d4/0x6f0 fs/super.c:1083
do_remount fs/namespace.c:3365 [inline]
path_mount+0xb34/0xde0 fs/namespace.c:4200
do_mount fs/namespace.c:4221 [inline]
__do_sys_mount fs/namespace.c:4432 [inline]
__se_sys_mount fs/namespace.c:4409 [inline]
__arm64_sys_mount+0x3e8/0x468 fs/namespace.c:4409
__invoke_syscall arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:35 [inline]
invoke_syscall+0x98/0x2b8 arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:49
el0_svc_common+0x130/0x23c arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:132
do_el0_svc+0x48/0x58 arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:151
el0_svc+0x58/0x17c arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:767
el0t_64_sync_handler+0x78/0x108 arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:786
el0t_64_sync+0x198/0x19c arch/arm64/kernel/entry.S:600
Code: f0047182 91178042 528089c3 9771d47b (d4210000)
---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---
This happens because we are processing an empty block group, which has
no extents allocated from it, there are no items for this block group,
including the block group item since block group items are stored in a
dedicated tree when using the block group tree feature. It also means
this is the block group with the highest start offset, so there are no
higher keys in the extent root, hence btrfs_search_slot_for_read()
returns 1 (no higher key found).
Fix this by asserting 'ret' is 0 only if the block group tree feature
is not enabled, in which case we should find a block group item for
the block group since it's stored in the extent root and block group
item keys are greater than extent item keys (the value for
BTRFS_BLOCK_GROUP_ITEM_KEY is 192 and for BTRFS_EXTENT_ITEM_KEY and
BTRFS_METADATA_ITEM_KEY the values are 168 and 169 respectively).
In case 'ret' is 1, we just need to add a record to the free space
tree which spans the whole block group, and we can achieve this by
making 'ret == 0' as the while loop's condition.
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a Linux kernel Btrfs crash bug. Under specific Btrfs filesystem conditions, rebuilding the free space tree can trigger a kernel assertion and BUG/Oops, causing availability impact. The source bundle does not provide CVSS, CWE, or confirmed exploit activity.
Executive priority
Treat as a reliability risk for Linux Btrfs systems. Prioritize patch validation where Btrfs is used on production storage, but avoid emergency escalation unless vendor advisories or operational exposure indicate broad impact.
Technical view
The flaw is in Btrfs free-space-tree rebuild logic when the block group tree feature is enabled. An empty highest-offset block group can make btrfs_search_slot_for_read() return 1, while code asserted ret == 0, triggering a kernel BUG during mount or remount processing.
Likely exposure
Exposure appears limited to Linux systems using Btrfs with the block group tree feature and affected kernel builds. The provided affected data lists Linux kernel versions including 6.1, 6.1.146, 6.6.99, 6.12.39, 6.15.7, and 6.16, but exact distro package mapping requires vendor guidance.
Exploitation context
No KEV listing is reported, and the bundle does not cite active exploitation. The crash was demonstrated in a syzkaller-style kernel trace involving mount/remount paths, suggesting local filesystem handling conditions rather than a confirmed remote attack path.
Researcher notes
The key condition is ret == 1 for an empty block group when block group items live outside the extent root. The fix changes assertion behavior and loop handling so the whole block group can be represented in the free space tree.
Mitigation direction
Update to a kernel containing the referenced stable Btrfs fix commits.
Check Linux distribution advisories for corrected kernel package versions.
Prioritize Btrfs hosts using block group tree and free space tree rebuild workflows.
Avoid unsupported kernels where vendor backport status is unclear.
Monitor vendor advisories for CVSS, exploitability, and package-specific guidance.
Validation and detection
Inventory systems using Btrfs filesystems.
Identify kernels matching the affected version information in the CVE bundle.
Confirm whether vendor kernel packages include the referenced stable commits.
Review logs for Btrfs free space tree rebuild messages and kernel BUG/Oops events.
Test remediated kernels in staging before production rollout.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
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
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
cve · low confidence lookup
CVE-2025-38503 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
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.
0CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
1ADP providers
7Source links
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.
Aug 16, 2025, 10:54 UTC (UTC+00:00)
CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.