CVE-2022-49913: btrfs: fix inode list leak during backref walking at find_parent_nodes()
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.20% (FIRST EPSS).
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: Linux Linux 222a3d533027b9492d5b7f5ecdc01a90f57bb5a9, 61e06128113711df0534c404fb6bb528eb7d2332, 6a6731a0df8c47ecc703bd7bb73459df767051e0.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 222a3d533027b9492d5b7f5ecdc01a90f57bb5a9, 61e06128113711df0534c404fb6bb528eb7d2332, 6a6731a0df8c47ecc703bd7bb73459df767051e0 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: fix inode list leak during backref walking at find_parent_nodes() During backref walking, at find_parent_nodes(), if we are dealing with a data extent and we get an error while resolving the indirect backrefs, at resolve_indirect_refs(), or in the while loop that iterates over the refs in the direct refs rbtree, we end up leaking the inode lists attached to the direct refs we have in the direct refs rbtree that were not yet added to the refs ulist passed as argument to find_parent_nodes(). Since they were not yet added to the refs ulist and prelim_release() does not free the lists, on error the caller can only free the lists attached to the refs that were added to the refs ulist, all the remaining refs get their inode lists never freed, therefore leaking their memory. Fix this by having prelim_release() always free any attached inode list to each ref found in the rbtree, and have find_parent_nodes() set the ref's inode list to NULL once it transfers ownership of the inode list to a ref added to the refs ulist passed to find_parent_nodes().
- Published
- May 1, 2025
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.2% · 10th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-401
Report tools
Action score
22
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.2%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
Is your version affected? Check itNoroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux kernel | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- linux linux kernel4.14 and later · before 5.4.224
- linux linux kernel5.5 and later · before 5.10.154
- linux linux kernel5.11 and later · before 5.15.78
- linux linux kernel5.16 and later · before 6.0.8
- linux linux kernel6.1
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Linux Linux
- 4.14affected
- 86d5f994425252d8a40e2184c94a2682ae8ecfbf and later · before 6a6731a0df8c47ecc703bd7bb73459df767051e0affected · git
- 86d5f994425252d8a40e2184c94a2682ae8ecfbf and later · before 61e06128113711df0534c404fb6bb528eb7d2332affected · git
- 86d5f994425252d8a40e2184c94a2682ae8ecfbf and later · before 222a3d533027b9492d5b7f5ecdc01a90f57bb5a9affected · git
- 86d5f994425252d8a40e2184c94a2682ae8ecfbf and later · before 83ea8c5b54d452a5769e605e3c5c687e8ca06d89affected · git
- 86d5f994425252d8a40e2184c94a2682ae8ecfbf and later · before 92876eec382a0f19f33d09d2c939e9ca49038ae5affected · git
- before 4.14not affected · semver
- 5.4.224 and later · up to and including 5.4.*not affected · semver
- 5.10.154 and later · up to and including 5.10.*not affected · semver
- 5.15.78 and later · up to and including 5.15.*not affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | linux | before 6.0.8-1 | 6.0.8-1 |
Same product
linux: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV90Now
- CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe…KEV89Now
- CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV85Now
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2022-49911May 1, 2025 · netfilter: ipset: enforce documented limit to prevent allocating huge memory22Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2022-49912May 1, 2025 · btrfs: fix ulist leaks in error paths of qgroup self tests22Monitor
- Later →CVE-2022-49914May 1, 2025 · btrfs: fix inode list leak during backref walking at resolve_indirect_refs()22Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Linux | 222a3d533027b9492d5b7f5ecdc01a90f57bb5a9 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 61e06128113711df0534c404fb6bb528eb7d2332 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 6a6731a0df8c47ecc703bd7bb73459df767051e0 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 83ea8c5b54d452a5769e605e3c5c687e8ca06d89 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 92876eec382a0f19f33d09d2c939e9ca49038ae5 | Vendor (CNA) |
| debian:linux | 6.0.8-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-401 · Missing Release of Memory after Effective LifetimeCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (4 more)Show less
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.