Categories
CVE-2025-68169

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:

  1. refill_skbs() acquires skb_pool->lock (spinlock)
  2. alloc_skb() is called while holding the lock
  3. Memory allocator fails and calls slab_out_of_memory()
  4. This triggers printk() for the OOM warning
  5. The console output path calls netpoll_send_udp()
  6. netpoll_send_udp() attempts to acquire the same skb_pool->lock
  7. 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.

❓ What is the problem

A vulnerability (unclassified) exists in Linux kernel.

📍 Affected scope

Check the vendor advisory for the affected versions of Linux kernel.

🔥 Severity

Severity: ?. Risk of unauthorized operations or information disclosure.

🔧 How to fix

Update to the patched release per vendor advisory.

🛡️ Workaround

Until the patch is applied: disable the affected feature, apply WAF rules, or restrict access via network ACLs.

🔍 Detection

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

  1. 1
    Identify 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。

  2. 2
    Post-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

Linux Kernel
[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"6.15.0"},{"fixed":"6.17.8"}]}]

Fix status by distribution

Fixed packages published by each distribution for this CVE

References

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