Vulnerability in Linux kernel (CVE-2025-68169)
Summary
Vulnerability in Linux kernel (CVE-2025-68169). 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:
netpoll: Fix deadlock in memory allocation under spinlock
Fix a AA deadlock in refill_skbs() where memory allocation while holding
skb_pool->lock can trigger a recursive lock acquisition attempt.
The deadlock scenario occurs when the system is under severe memory
pressure:
- refill_skbs() acquires skb_pool->lock (spinlock)
- alloc_skb() is called while holding the lock
- Memory allocator fails and calls slab_out_of_memory()
- This triggers printk() for the OOM warning
- The console output path calls netpoll_send_udp()
- netpoll_send_udp() attempts to acquire the same skb_pool->lock
- Deadlock: the lock is already held by the same CPU
Call stack:
refill_skbs()
spin_lock_irqsave(&skb_pool->lock) <- lock acquired
__alloc_skb()
kmem_cache_alloc_node_noprof()
slab_out_of_memory()
printk()
console_flush_all()
netpoll_send_udp()
skb_dequeue()
spin_lock_irqsave(&skb_pool->lock) <- deadlock attempt
This bug was exposed by commit 248f6571fd4c51 ("netpoll: Optimize skb
refilling on critical path") which removed refill_skbs() from the
critical path (where nested printk was being deferred), letting nested
printk being called from inside refill_skbs()
Refactor refill_skbs() to never allocate memory while holding
the spinlock.
Another possible solution to fix this problem is protecting the
refill_skbs() from n…
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-2025-68169 has been found in Linux kernel.
Risk of unauthorized operations or information disclosure.
What to do: apply the vendor's official patched release.
If unsure, ask your IT team or search "Linux kernel CVE-2025-68169" on the vendor's site.
CVE-2025-68169 (Linux kernel)
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.
A vulnerability (unclassified) exists in Linux kernel.
Check the vendor advisory for the affected versions of Linux kernel.
Severity: ?. 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-2025-68169 linux-lts Fixed in: 6.18.35-r1
- Debian DEBIAN-CVE-2025-68169 linux Fixed in: 6.17.8-1
- Ubuntu UBUNTU-CVE-2025-68169 linux-hwe-edge
References
- advisory github.com
- advisory nvd.nist.gov
- package git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org