CVE-2024-57976
📋 TL;DR
A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Btrfs filesystem when handling copy-on-write operations during out-of-space conditions. This can cause kernel crashes or system instability when Btrfs runs out of space during file operations. Affects systems using Btrfs filesystem with kernel versions containing the vulnerable code.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
📦 What is this software?
Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic leading to system crash and potential data corruption or loss
Likely Case
System instability, kernel crashes, or service disruption when Btrfs filesystem encounters out-of-space conditions
If Mitigated
Minor performance impact during error handling with proper patching
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger specific Btrfs out-of-space conditions. Not easily weaponized for privilege escalation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patched in kernel commits: 06f364284794f149d2abc167c11d556cf20c954b, 10b3772292bf1be45604ba83fd9650eb94382e78, 692cf71173bb41395c855acbbbe197d3aedfa5d4
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/06f364284794f149d2abc167c11d556cf20c954b
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Check with your distribution for kernel updates. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Avoid Btrfs out-of-space conditions
linuxMonitor and maintain sufficient free space on Btrfs filesystems to prevent triggering the vulnerability
df -h
btrfs filesystem usage /path/to/btrfs
Use alternative filesystem
linuxConsider using ext4 or other filesystems instead of Btrfs for critical systems
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor Btrfs filesystem free space aggressively and maintain at least 10-20% free space
- Implement filesystem monitoring to detect and alert on low space conditions before they trigger the vulnerability
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and verify if Btrfs is in use: uname -r && cat /proc/filesystems | grep btrfsCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes the fix commits or check with distribution's security advisories📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages related to Btrfs
- System logs showing Btrfs out-of-space errors
- Kernel oops messages with Btrfs stack traces
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("BTRFS error" OR "kernel BUG" OR "Internal error: Oops")