---
id: CVE-2025-39738
title: >-
  kernel: Linux kernel: Denial of Service in Btrfs due to relocation of
  partially dropped subvolumes (CVE-2025-39738)
summary: >-
  A flaw was found in the Linux kernel. A local user can trigger a transaction
  abort and a warning in the Btrfs (B-tree file system) by attempting to
  relocate a partially dropped subvolume that lacks an orphan item. This
  vulnerability can le…
severity: medium
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cvssSource: vendor
cwe: CWE-166
vendor: Red Hat
product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
affected:
  - enterprise_linux 6
  - enterprise_linux 7
published: '2025-09-11'
updated: '2026-10-16'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-16T23:16:30+00:00'
source: CSAF
sourceUrl: 'https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2025/cve-2025-39738.json'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2025/cve-2025-39738.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-39738'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2394629'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-39738'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-39738'
  - url: >-
      https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2025091137-CVE-2025-39738-aed1@gregkh/T
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fa086b1398cf7e5f7dee7241bd5f2855cb5df8dc'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fcb1f77b8ed8795608ca7a1f6505e2b07236c1f3'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f83d4c81bda3b7d1813268ab77408f7a0ce691ff'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/39a93e1c9dbf7e11632efeb20fcf0fc1dcf64d51'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/125e94a4b76b7b75d194f85bedd628097d2121f0'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4e403bd8e127d40dc7c05f06ee969c1ba1537ec5'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4289b494ac553e74e86fed1c66b2bf9530bc1082'
tags:
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00175
epssPercentile: 0.06932
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-10-15T21:53:53.054878Z'
scores:
  vendor: 5.5
  cna: 7.3
ingestedAt: '2026-10-15T22:48:25.523Z'
---

## Overview

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel. A local user can trigger a transaction abort and a warning in the Btrfs (B-tree file system) by attempting to relocate a partially dropped subvolume that lacks an orphan item. This vulnerability can lead to a Denial of Service (DoS) by causing the system to become unresponsive or crash.

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Moderate · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 · updated 2026-10-16 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2025/cve-2025-39738.json)

**kernel: Linux kernel: Denial of Service in Btrfs due to relocation of partially dropped subvolumes** — rated Moderate by Red Hat. Released 2025-09-11, updated 2026-10-16.

Affected:

- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

No fix planned:

- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

Not affected:

- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

## Remediation

Out of support scope

Workarounds / mitigations:

- Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability.