Out-of-Bounds Write in Linux kernel (CVE-2025-39723)
Summary
Out-of-bounds write in Linux kernel (CVE-2025-39723). Risk of unauthorized operations or information disclosure.
Original description
The description as published by the source.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfs: Fix unbuffered write error handling
If all the subrequests in an unbuffered write stream fail, the subrequest
collector doesn't update the stream->transferred value and it retains its
initial LONG_MAX value. Unfortunately, if all active streams fail, then we
take the smallest value of { LONG_MAX, LONG_MAX, ... } as the value to set
in wreq->transferred - which is then returned from ->write_iter().
LONG_MAX was chosen as the initial value so that all the streams can be
quickly assessed by taking the smallest value of all stream->transferred -
but this only works if we've set any of them.
Fix this by adding a flag to indicate whether the value in
stream->transferred is valid and checking that when we integrate the
values. stream->transferred can then be initialised to zero.
This was found by running the generic/750 xfstest against cifs with
cache=none. It splices data to the target file. Once (if) it has used up
all the available scratch space, the writes start failing with ENOSPC.
This causes ->write_iter() to fail. However, it was returning
wreq->transferred, i.e. LONG_MAX, rather than an error (because it thought
the amount transferred was non-zero) and iter_file_splice_write() would
then try to clean up that amount of pipe bufferage - leading to an oops
when it overran. The kernel log showed:
CIFS: VFS: Send error in write = -28
followed by:
BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference,…
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-2025-39723 has been found in Linux kernel.
Risk of unauthorized operations or information disclosure. CVSS score: 7.1/10.
What to do: apply the vendor's official patched release.
If unsure, ask your IT team or search "Linux kernel CVE-2025-39723" on the vendor's site.
CVE-2025-39723 (Linux kernel) — CWE-787 / CVSS v3 7.1
Attack vector: remote (network-reachable) / unauthenticated
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.
Out-of-bounds write (CWE-787) exists in Linux kernel.
Check the vendor advisory for the affected versions of Linux kernel.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.1/10). Risk of unauthorized operations or information disclosure.
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-2025-39723 linux-lts Fixed in: 6.12.44-r0
- Debian DEBIAN-CVE-2025-39723 linux Fixed in: 6.12.48-1
- Ubuntu UBUNTU-CVE-2025-39723 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