Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2025-71099 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 c6d30b65b7a44dac52ad49513268adbf19eab4a2, 7cdb9a9da935c687563cc682155461fef5f9b48d, dcb171931954c51a1a7250d558f02b8f36570783 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 0.14% 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 c6d30b65b7a44dac52ad49513268adbf19eab4a2 or 7cdb9a9da935c687563cc682155461fef5f9b48d or dcb171931954c51a1a7250d558f02b8f36570783, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.12.64 or 6.18.4, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | cdf02fe1a94a768cbcd20f5c4e1a1d805f4a06c0 up to, but not including, c6d30b65b7a44dac52ad49513268adbf19eab4a2; cdf02fe1a94a768cbcd20f5c4e1a1d805f4a06c0 up to, but not including, 7cdb9a9da935c687563cc682155461fef5f9b48d; cdf02fe1a94a768cbcd20f5c4e1a1d805f4a06c0 up to, but not including, dcb171931954c51a1a7250d558f02b8f36570783; 6.11 | c6d30b65b7a44dac52ad49513268adbf19eab4a2, 7cdb9a9da935c687563cc682155461fef5f9b48d, dcb171931954c51a1a7250d558f02b8f36570783 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.11.1 up to, but not including, 6.12.64; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.18.4; 6.11; 6.19 | 6.12.64, 6.18.4 |
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 | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/xe/oa: Fix potential UAF in xe_oa_add_config_ioctl() In xe_oa_add_config_ioctl(), we accessed oa_config->id after dropping metrics_lock. Since this lock protects the lifetime of oa_config, an attacker could guess the id and call xe_oa_remove_config_ioctl() with perfect timing, freeing oa_config before we dereference it, leading to a potential use-after-free. Fix this by caching the id in a local variable while holding the lock. v2: (Matt A) - Dropped mutex_unlock(&oa->metrics_lock) ordering change from xe_oa_remove_config_ioctl() (cherry picked from commit 28aeaed130e8e587fd1b73b6d66ca41ccc5a1a31)
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
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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