Use-After-Free in Linux kernel (CVE-2025-39711)
Summary
Vulnerability in Linux kernel (CVE-2025-39711). 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:
media: ivsc: Fix crash at shutdown due to missing mei_cldev_disable() calls
Both the ACE and CSI driver are missing a mei_cldev_disable() call in
their remove() function.
This causes the mei_cl client to stay part of the mei_device->file_list
list even though its memory is freed by mei_cl_bus_dev_release() calling
kfree(cldev->cl).
This leads to a use-after-free when mei_vsc_remove() runs mei_stop()
which first removes all mei bus devices calling mei_ace_remove() and
mei_csi_remove() followed by mei_cl_bus_dev_release() and then calls
mei_cl_all_disconnect() which walks over mei_device->file_list dereferecing
the just freed cldev->cl.
And mei_vsc_remove() it self is run at shutdown because of the
platform_device_unregister(tp->pdev) in vsc_tp_shutdown()
When building a kernel with KASAN this leads to the following KASAN report:
[ 106.634504] ==================================================================
[ 106.634623] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in mei_cl_set_disconnected (drivers/misc/mei/client.c:783) mei
[ 106.634683] Read of size 4 at addr ffff88819cb62018 by task systemd-shutdow/1
[ 106.634729]
[ 106.634767] Tainted: [E]=UNSIGNED_MODULE
[ 106.634770] Hardware name: Dell Inc. XPS 16 9640/09CK4V, BIOS 1.12.0 02/10/2025
[ 106.634773] Call Trace:
[ 106.634777]
...
[ 106.634871] kasan_report (mm/kasan/report.c:221 mm/kasan/report.c:636)
[ 106.634901] mei_cl_set_disconnected (drivers/misc/mei/c…
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-2025-39711 has been found in Linux kernel.
Successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover. CVSS score: 7.8/10.
What to do: apply the vendor's official patched release.
If unsure, ask your IT team or search "Linux kernel CVE-2025-39711" on the vendor's site.
CVE-2025-39711 (Linux kernel) — CWE-416 / CVSS v3 7.8
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 7.8/10). 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-2025-39711 linux-lts Fixed in: 6.12.44-r0
- Debian DEBIAN-CVE-2025-39711 linux Fixed in: 6.12.48-1
- Ubuntu UBUNTU-CVE-2025-39711 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