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CVE-2025-71137NVD status: Analyzed

Linux: Out-of-bounds Write

CVE-2025-71137 is a high-severity out-of-bounds write 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 5d8dfa3abb9a845302e021cf9c92d941abbc011a, 4cc4cfe4d23c883120b6f3d41145edbaa281f2ab, 658caf3b8aad65f8b8e102670ca4f68c7030f655 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 0.19% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Linux to 5d8dfa3abb9a845302e021cf9c92d941abbc011a or 4cc4cfe4d23c883120b6f3d41145edbaa281f2ab or 658caf3b8aad65f8b8e102670ca4f68c7030f655 or b23a2e15589466a027c9baa3fb5813c9f6a6c6dc, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Linux Kernel to 5.10.248 or 5.15.198 or 6.1.160 or 6.6.120, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinuxd45d8979840d9c9ac93d3fe8cfc8e794b7228445 up to, but not including, 5d8dfa3abb9a845302e021cf9c92d941abbc011a; d45d8979840d9c9ac93d3fe8cfc8e794b7228445 up to, but not including, 4cc4cfe4d23c883120b6f3d41145edbaa281f2ab; d45d8979840d9c9ac93d3fe8cfc8e794b7228445 up to, but not including, 658caf3b8aad65f8b8e102670ca4f68c7030f655; d45d8979840d9c9ac93d3fe8cfc8e794b7228445 up to, but not including, b23a2e15589466a027c9baa3fb5813c9f6a6c6dc; d45d8979840d9c9ac93d3fe8cfc8e794b7228445 up to, but not including, aa743b0d98448282b2cb37356db8db2a48524624; d45d8979840d9c9ac93d3fe8cfc8e794b7228445 up to, but not including, 442848e457f5a9f71a4e7e14d24d73dae278ebe3; d45d8979840d9c9ac93d3fe8cfc8e794b7228445 up to, but not including, 85f4b0c650d9f9db10bda8d3acfa1af83bf78cf7; 5.65d8dfa3abb9a845302e021cf9c92d941abbc011a, 4cc4cfe4d23c883120b6f3d41145edbaa281f2ab, 658caf3b8aad65f8b8e102670ca4f68c7030f655, b23a2e15589466a027c9baa3fb5813c9f6a6c6dc, aa743b0d98448282b2cb37356db8db2a48524624, 442848e457f5a9f71a4e7e14d24d73dae278ebe3
LinuxLinux Kernel5.6.1 up to, but not including, 5.10.248; 5.11 up to, but not including, 5.15.198; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.160; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.120; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.12.64; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.18.4; 5.6; 6.195.10.248, 5.15.198, 6.1.160, 6.6.120, 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.

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: octeontx2-pf: fix "UBSAN: shift-out-of-bounds error" This patch ensures that the RX ring size (rx_pending) is not set below the permitted length. This avoids UBSAN shift-out-of-bounds errors when users passes small or zero ring sizes via ethtool -G.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Out-of-bounds Write

The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, many languages that perform their own memory management, such as Java and Perl, are not subject to buffer overflows. Other languages, such as Ada and C#, typically provide overflow protection, but the protection can be disabled by the programmer. Be wary that a language's interface to native code may still be subject to overflows, even if the language itself is theoretically safe.
  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Examples include the Safe C String Library (SafeStr) by Messier and Viega, and the Strsafe.h library from Microsoft. These libraries provide safer versions of overflow-prone string-handling functions.
  • Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.

More Out-of-bounds Write vulnerabilities (CWE-787)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Recent Out-of-bounds Write vulnerabilities

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