Vulnerability Snapshot
CVE-2025-71159 is rated CRITICAL — exploitation is trivial or already observed in the wild and impact is severe. Patch immediately, not on the next maintenance window.
Affected technology: linux_kernel.
Executive Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
btrfs: fix use-after-free warning in btrfs_get_or_create_delayed_node()
Previously, btrfs_get_or_create_delayed_node() set the delayed_node's
refcount before acquiring the root->delayed_nodes lock.
Commit e8513c012de7 ("btrfs: implement ref_tracker for delayed_nodes")
moved refcount_set inside the critical section, which means there is
no longer a memory barrier between setting the refcount and setting
btrfs_inode->delayed_node.
Without that barrier, the stores to node->refs and
btrfs_inode->delayed_node may become visible out of order. Another
thread can then read btrfs_inode->delayed_node and attempt to
increment a refcount that hasn't been set yet, leading to a
refcounting bug and a use-after-free warning.
The fix is to move refcount_set back to where it was to take
advantage of the implicit memory barrier provided by lock
acquisition.
Because the allocations now happen outside of the lock's critical
section, t
Why It Matters
CVE-2025-71159 is rated CRITICAL severity, requiring immediate attention from security teams.
CVSS Base Score: 9.8/10
Affected Technologies
Vendors: linux
Products: linux_kernel
🛡️What Defenders Should Check
Use Vulnios to continuously monitor your exposure to CVE-2025-71159 and similar vulnerabilities.
References & Sources
How Vulnios Detects This
Vulnios scans for this vulnerability using Trivy and Grype for CVE matching against your container images and OS package manifests. Run a scan against your environment to see whether you are exposed; findings are linked back to the original CVE record so triage starts with the patch path already known.
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Affected Products
Sources
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2025-71159?
CVE-2025-71159 is a critical-severity vulnerability tracked under the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures program. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
btrfs: fix use-after-free warning in btrfs_get_or_create_delayed_node()
Previously, btrfs_get_or_create_delayed_node() set the del
Am I affected?
Check whether your environment runs linux_kernel. If you operate any of those, treat yourself as in scope until you have evidence otherwise. A Vulnios scan will identify the exact assets carrying the affected version.
How urgent is the response?
Critical: do not wait for your normal patch cycle. Verify exposure today, apply the vendor patch immediately, and add detection rules for any post-exploit indicators.
How do I remediate?
Apply the vendor patch listed in the upstream advisory linked under Sources. If the patch is not yet available, follow the vendor-supplied workaround (often a config flag or feature disable) and add detections for the published exploit pattern in your SIEM. Re-scan after the patch lands to confirm the finding clears.
Where can I track exploitation activity?
Watch CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog for CVE-2025-71159. Cross-reference with public exploit databases and your own SIEM/IDS for indicator-of-compromise patterns. Vulnios tracks KEV status automatically and surfaces it on the asset findings view.
How does Vulnios help with this?
Vulnios continuously cross-references your asset inventory against the live CVE feed (NVD, vendor advisories, CISA KEV, and curated OSINT). When a new CVE matches your environment, you get a prioritized finding with the severity, KEV status, exploit-prediction (EPSS), and a direct path to the vendor patch. You can start a free scan from the homepage.
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