# CVE-2026-72163: ocfs2: fix NULL h_transaction deref in ocfs2_assure_trans_credits

Status: published. Published: 2026-08-15. Updated: 2026-11-06.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ocfs2: fix NULL h_transaction deref in ocfs2_assure_trans_credits

[BUG]
A direct write over unwritten extents can panic the kernel in
ocfs2_assure_trans_credits() when the journal aborts during DIO
completion. The crash is a general protection fault from a NULL pointer
dereference.

[CAUSE]
ocfs2_dio_end_io_write() loops over a direct write's unwritten extents,
marking each written under a single journal handle. If the journal
aborts (for example after an I/O error) while the extent tree is being
updated, the handle is left aborted with its transaction pointer
cleared. The extent merge treats that failure as not critical and
reports success, so the loop keeps using the handle.
ocfs2_assure_trans_credits() reads the handle's remaining credits
without first checking whether the handle is aborted, and that read
dereferences the cleared transaction pointer.

[FIX]
A journal abort is recorded in the handle itself, so callers are
expected to test the handle rather than rely on a returned error.
Make ocfs2_assure_trans_credits() do that, as the other ocfs2 journal
helpers already do, and return -EROFS when the handle is aborted.

## Remediation

No remediation reported in collected sources

## Affected products and versions

- Linux / Linux: ≥ a68b896aa56e435506453ec8835bc991ec3ae687; < 2d80e9c56718435a9c9f5f24dbc954989aead579 (affected, git); ≥ 320273b5649bbcee87f9e65343077189699d2a7a; < 942b818b396c24c452681803ff291552317d2ef1 (affected, git); ≥ 9ea2d1c6789722d58ec191f14f9a02518d55b6b4; < 7146d191dae3a8efdb957993fb61a55713186266 (affected, git); ≥ c05ffb693bfb42a48ef3ee88a55b57392984e111; < f14aaaa130356ee4adb44de947c098637c70df8f (affected, git); ≥ be346c1a6eeb49d8fda827d2a9522124c2f72f36; < 6ad7532a23bc94076efe9f1486dd7f7493c090ff (affected, git); ≥ be346c1a6eeb49d8fda827d2a9522124c2f72f36; < bd73971fad89d5ee4ea0ba9b92d2ea08733c4a64 (affected, git); ≥ be346c1a6eeb49d8fda827d2a9522124c2f72f36; < 253ed993e0b36997ec7b04c1ff76103b38241de2 (affected, git); ≥ be346c1a6eeb49d8fda827d2a9522124c2f72f36; < f9ab30c96b0f00c20c6dac93681bdae3a033d229 (affected, git); 331d1079d58206ff7dc5518185f800b412f89bc6 (affected, git); ≥ 5.10.221; < 5.10.261 (affected, semver); ≥ 5.15.162; < 5.15.212 (affected, semver); ≥ 6.1.97; < 6.1.178 (affected, semver); ≥ 6.6.37; < 6.6.145 (affected, semver); ≥ 6.9.8; < 6.10 (affected, semver). Source: CNA: Linux
- Linux / Linux: 6.10 (affected); ≥ 0; < 6.10 (unaffected, semver); ≥ 5.10.261; ≤ 5.10.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 5.15.212; ≤ 5.15.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.1.178; ≤ 6.1.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.6.145; ≤ 6.6.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.12.97; ≤ 6.12.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.18.40; ≤ 6.18.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 7.1.5; ≤ 7.1.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 7.2; ≤ * (unaffected, original_commit_for_fix). Source: CNA: Linux

## Severity and prioritization

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.22% as of 2026-11-06; percentile 12.13%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact partial; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: Not reported

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d80e9c56718435a9c9f5f24dbc954989aead579 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/942b818b396c24c452681803ff291552317d2ef1 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7146d191dae3a8efdb957993fb61a55713186266 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f14aaaa130356ee4adb44de947c098637c70df8f (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6ad7532a23bc94076efe9f1486dd7f7493c090ff (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bd73971fad89d5ee4ea0ba9b92d2ea08733c4a64 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/253ed993e0b36997ec7b04c1ff76103b38241de2 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f9ab30c96b0f00c20c6dac93681bdae3a033d229 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/253ed993e0b36997ec7b04c1ff76103b38241de2 (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d80e9c56718435a9c9f5f24dbc954989aead579 (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6ad7532a23bc94076efe9f1486dd7f7493c090ff (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7146d191dae3a8efdb957993fb61a55713186266 (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/942b818b396c24c452681803ff291552317d2ef1 (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bd73971fad89d5ee4ea0ba9b92d2ea08733c4a64 (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f14aaaa130356ee4adb44de947c098637c70df8f (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f9ab30c96b0f00c20c6dac93681bdae3a033d229 (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

## Provenance

- CNA: Linux: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72163; retrieved 2026-11-06; source updated 2026-11-06

- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72163; retrieved 2026-11-06; source updated 2026-11-06

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-72163; retrieved 2026-11-06; source updated Not reported

Revision: 9b0ae6c6ef6c83d4854b69ec07122676e19ba1f32eacb0f17ca818b17d3a7e3c

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-72163

## Agent and API access

Public CVE pages, Markdown, and JSON are free to read without an account or API key.

- Public catalog: https://y2.dev/cve/index.json. Follow nextCursor with the same search, filters, sort, and limit (1–100). A null cursor marks the end.

- WebMCP: search_cve_disclosures, get_cve_disclosure, get_cve_page_markdown, get_y2_cve_access. Available in compatible browsers.

- Cyber API: https://api.y2.dev/api/v2/cyber/cves and https://api.y2.dev/api/v2/cyber/cves/{cveId}.

- Y2 Pro or Elite: create a workspace API key with the intel:cyber scope and send Authorization: Bearer <Y2_API_KEY>. Setup: https://y2.dev/docs/api/create-key.

- x402: Pay per request without an account or API key. Omit Authorization, read the HTTP 402 PAYMENT-REQUIRED challenge, validate its current requirements, and retry with PAYMENT-SIGNATURE through an authorized payment client. These browser tools never make payments. Guide: https://y2.dev/docs/api/x402.

- OpenAPI: https://y2.dev/api/openapi.yaml. Agent access metadata: https://y2.dev/cve/agent.json.

Collected public records only. Check source status for coverage and freshness.