cbcvebase.
CVE-2025-40209
published 2025-11-21

CVE-2025-40209: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: fix memory leak of qgroup_list in btrfs_add_qgroup_relation When…

PriorityP422
EPSS
0.18%
7.9th percentile
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: fix memory leak of qgroup_list in btrfs_add_qgroup_relation When btrfs_add_qgroup_relation() is called with invalid qgroup levels (src >= dst), the function returns -EINVAL directly without freeing the preallocated qgroup_list structure passed by the caller. This causes a memory leak because the caller unconditionally sets the pointer to NULL after the call, preventing any cleanup. The issue occurs because the level validation check happens before the mutex is acquired and before any error handling path that would free the prealloc pointer. On this early return, the cleanup code at the 'out' label (which includes kfree(prealloc)) is never reached. In btrfs_ioctl_qgroup_assign(), the code pattern is: prealloc = kzalloc(sizeof(*prealloc), GFP_KERNEL); ret = btrfs_add_qgroup_relation(trans, sa->src, sa->dst, prealloc); prealloc = NULL; // Always set to NULL regardless of return value ... kfree(prealloc); // This becomes kfree(NULL), does nothing When the level check fails, 'prealloc' is never freed by either the callee or the caller, resulting in a 64-byte memory leak per failed operation. This can be triggered repeatedly by an unprivileged user with access to a writable btrfs mount, potentially exhausting kernel memory. Fix this by freeing prealloc before the early return, ensuring prealloc is always freed on all error paths.

Affected

12 ranges
VendorProductVersion rangeFixed in
debianlinux< linux 6.17.8-1 (forky)linux 6.17.8-1 (forky)
linuxlinux
linuxlinux>= 4addc1ffd67ad34394674dc91379dc04cfdd2537 < 3412d0e973e8f8381747d69033eda809a57a25813412d0e973e8f8381747d69033eda809a57a2581
linuxlinux>= 4addc1ffd67ad34394674dc91379dc04cfdd2537 < a4d9ebe23bcb79d9d057e3c995db73b7b3aae414a4d9ebe23bcb79d9d057e3c995db73b7b3aae414
linuxlinux>= 4addc1ffd67ad34394674dc91379dc04cfdd2537 < f260c6aff0b8af236084012d14f9f1bf792ea883f260c6aff0b8af236084012d14f9f1bf792ea883
linuxlinux_kernel>= 0 < 6.12.63-16.12.63-1
linuxlinux_kernel>= 0 < 6.17.8-16.17.8-1
linuxlinux_kernel>= 0 < 6.17.0-14.146.17.0-14.14
linuxlinux_kernel>= 6.11.0 < 6.12.586.12.58
linuxlinux_kernel>= 6.13.0 < 6.17.86.17.8
ubuntulinux-aws
ubuntulinux-oracle
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