Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2025-39896 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 54c49eca38dbd06913a696f6d7610937dcfad226, 565d2c15b6c36c3250e694f7b9a86229c1787be5, 69a79ada8eb034ce016b5b78fb7d08d8687223de as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.15% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to 54c49eca38dbd06913a696f6d7610937dcfad226 or 565d2c15b6c36c3250e694f7b9a86229c1787be5 or 69a79ada8eb034ce016b5b78fb7d08d8687223de, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.12.46 or 6.16.6, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 58cde80f45a2b1683ea3c24a9a9a4b0e1005336b up to, but not including, 54c49eca38dbd06913a696f6d7610937dcfad226; 58cde80f45a2b1683ea3c24a9a9a4b0e1005336b up to, but not including, 565d2c15b6c36c3250e694f7b9a86229c1787be5; 58cde80f45a2b1683ea3c24a9a9a4b0e1005336b up to, but not including, 69a79ada8eb034ce016b5b78fb7d08d8687223de; 6.8 | 54c49eca38dbd06913a696f6d7610937dcfad226, 565d2c15b6c36c3250e694f7b9a86229c1787be5, 69a79ada8eb034ce016b5b78fb7d08d8687223de |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.8 up to, but not including, 6.12.46; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.16.6; 6.17 | 6.12.46, 6.16.6 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CISA (ADP) |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: accel/ivpu: Prevent recovery work from being queued during device removal Use disable_work_sync() instead of cancel_work_sync() in ivpu_dev_fini() to ensure that no new recovery work items can be queued after device removal has started. Previously, recovery work could be scheduled even after canceling existing work, potentially leading to use-after-free bugs if recovery accessed freed resources. Rename ivpu_pm_cancel_recovery() to ivpu_pm_disable_recovery() to better reflect its new behavior.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Use After Free
The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
- When freeing pointers, be sure to set them to NULL once they are freed. However, the utilization of multiple or complex data structures may lower the usefulness of this strategy.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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