Use-After-Free in Linux kernel (CVE-2025-37957)
Summary
Vulnerability in Linux kernel (CVE-2025-37957). Successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover.
Original description
The description as published by the source.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
KVM: SVM: Forcibly leave SMM mode on SHUTDOWN interception
Previously, commit ed129ec9057f ("KVM: x86: forcibly leave nested mode
on vCPU reset") addressed an issue where a triple fault occurring in
nested mode could lead to use-after-free scenarios. However, the commit
did not handle the analogous situation for System Management Mode (SMM).
This omission results in triggering a WARN when KVM forces a vCPU INIT
after SHUTDOWN interception while the vCPU is in SMM. This situation was
reprodused using Syzkaller by:
- Creating a KVM VM and vCPU
- Sending a KVM_SMI ioctl to explicitly enter SMM
- Executing invalid instructions causing consecutive exceptions and
eventually a triple fault
The issue manifests as follows:
WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 25506 at arch/x86/kvm/x86.c:12112
kvm_vcpu_reset+0x1d2/0x1530 arch/x86/kvm/x86.c:12112
Modules linked in:
CPU: 0 PID: 25506 Comm: syz-executor.0 Not tainted
6.1.130-syzkaller-00157-g164fe5dde9b6 #0
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996),
BIOS 1.12.0-1 04/01/2014
RIP: 0010:kvm_vcpu_reset+0x1d2/0x1530 arch/x86/kvm/x86.c:12112
Call Trace:
shutdown_interception+0x66/0xb0 arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.c:2136
svm_invoke_exit_handler+0x110/0x530 arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.c:3395
svm_handle_exit+0x424/0x920 arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.c:3457
vcpu_enter_guest arch/x86/kvm/x86.c:10959 [inline]
vcpu_run+0x2c43/0x5a90 arch/x86/kvm/x86.c:1106…
Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database NVD
Auto-generated summary
Assembled by SecPulse from the source data (CVSS, CWE, affected versions) using templates — no AI involved. Check the original description and references below for exact details.
A vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-37957 has been found in Linux kernel.
Successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover. CVSS score: 8.8/10.
What to do: apply the vendor's official patched release.
If unsure, ask your IT team or search "Linux kernel CVE-2025-37957" on the vendor's site.
CVE-2025-37957 (Linux kernel) — CWE-416 / CVSS v3 8.8
Attack vector: local / no user interaction
Plan: 1) Audit SBOM/dependencies, 2) Stage→prod upgrade, 3) Add WAF/proxy monitoring on affected endpoints, 4) Hunt IOCs in logs.
Refs: see the GHSA / vendor advisory / patched release linked on this page.
Use-after-free (CWE-416) exists in Linux kernel.
Check the vendor advisory for the affected versions of Linux kernel.
Severity: High (CVSS 8.8/10). Successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover.
Update to the patched release per vendor advisory.
Until the patch is applied: disable the affected feature, apply WAF rules, or restrict access via network ACLs.
Search webserver/proxy logs for unusual request patterns matching this CVE's known IOCs. Audit SBOM/dependencies to find affected services.
Response actions
Concrete steps and command examples for SOC/SRE teams to execute in order
-
1Identify exposure identify
Audit SBOM/dependencies for affected components.資産台帳・SBOM・依存マニフェストで Linux kernel を使っているサービスとバージョンを洗い出す。
-
2Post-deployment verification verify
Confirm patched version is live in productionパッチ適用後、ステージングで PoC または同等の悪用パターンを再現して脆弱性が閉じたことを確認。本番ではアクセスログ・WAF でアラート再発が無いか継続監視。
Affected packages
Fix status by distribution
Fixed packages published by each distribution for this CVE
- BellSoft Alpaquita BELL-CVE-2025-37957 linux-lts
- Debian DEBIAN-CVE-2025-37957 linux
- Ubuntu UBUNTU-CVE-2025-37957 linux-hwe-edge
References
- advisory github.com
- advisory nvd.nist.gov
- package git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org