CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2025-38370 — Linux Linux Kernel security vulnerability

Medium CVSS 5.5

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: fix failure to rebuild free space tree using multiple transactions If we are rebuilding a free space tree, while modifying the free space tree we may need to allocate a new metadata block group. If we end up using multiple transactions for the rebuild, when we call btrfs_end_transaction() we enter btrfs_create_pending_block_groups() which calls add_block_group_free_space() to add items to the free space tree for the block group. Then later during the free space tree rebuild, at btrfs_rebuild_free_space_tree(), we may find such new block groups and call populate_free_space_tree() for them, which fails with -EEXIST because there are already items in the free space tree. Then we abort the transaction with -EEXIST at btrfs_rebuild_free_space_tree(). Notice that we say "may find" the new block groups because a new block group may be inserted in the block groups rbtree, which is being iterated by the rebuild process, before or after the current node where the rebuild process is currently at. Syzbot recently reported such case which produces a trace like the following: ------------[ cut here ]------------ BTRFS: T…

Severity
Medium
CVSS
5.5 (3.1)
Published
2025-07-25
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
linux/kernel

Affected products

  • linux / linux_kernel
  • linux / linux_kernel / 6.16

Showing 2 representative product identities from 5 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

General vulnerability remediation

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Check exposure

  • Confirm the affected component, deployment paths, reachable interfaces, and enabled features from inventories and configuration, without probing production destructively.
  • Compare the advisory's affected conditions with the repository lockfiles, build manifests, artifacts, and runtime inventory.
  • Identify data sensitivity, trust boundaries, and privilege level for every confirmed affected deployment.

Remediate safely

  • Apply a vendor-supported fix or remove the affected component or feature; record the selected change and its source in the repository.
  • Update direct and transitive dependency locks, generated artifacts, deployment manifests, and asset inventories together.
  • Add a regression test for the documented unsafe condition using inert inputs and preserve rollback instructions.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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