CVE-2026-97416: Linux kernel · btrfs: balance: fix potential bg lookup failure in btrfs_may_alloc_data_chunk()
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 6% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 24 Sep 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A fix is available that adds a NULL check in the btrfs_may_alloc_data_chunk() function to prevent the kernel crash. Users should apply the official kernel updates that include this patch to resolve the issue.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Btrfs filesystem balance operation can cause a null pointer dereference leading to a kernel crash. This occurs when metadata corruption results in a chunk in the chunk tree without a corresponding block group in the in-memory cache. The issue is fixed by adding a null check in the btrfs_may_alloc_data_chunk() function.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-97416 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97416 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/59f75e0c8724d4adebc08c7dd3ff2358b80c21f7 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9740dd0c17a4be8cc47a06c5ca5293471a7e286e (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/18d32b0013efba19f7ad3e5b08d7aee813d604a6 (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97416 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/322f891b4d4fe64acb3351a0ffa62a7fa5ba7256 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/81a664ed8b1a44c76b204c4bd0d751317a02c5cd (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9f37a6d6ae9e998232e2ba091ab4999cdf967e1b (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e479236a8f4d85c4fb6b3f7c2556c21f583e2bf2 (opens in a new tab)