High severity · published Sep 23, 2025
CVE-2025-39881
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kernfs: Fix UAF in polling when open file is released A use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability was identified in…
7.8
CVSS
0.2%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
kernfs: Fix UAF in polling when open file is released
A use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability was identified in the PSI (Pressure
Stall Information) monitoring mechanism:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in psi_trigger_poll+0x3c/0x140
Read of size 8 at addr ffff3de3d50bd308 by task systemd/1
psi_trigger_poll+0x3c/0x140
cgroup_pressure_poll+0x70/0xa0
cgroup_file_poll+0x8c/0x100
kernfs_fop_poll+0x11c/0x1c0
ep_item_poll.isra.0+0x188/0x2c0
Allocated by task 1:
cgroup_file_open+0x88/0x388
kernfs_fop_open+0x73c/0xaf0
do_dentry_open+0x5fc/0x1200
vfs_open+0xa0/0x3f0
do_open+0x7e8/0xd08
path_openat+0x2fc/0x6b0
do_filp_open+0x174/0x368
Freed by task 8462:
cgroup_file_release+0x130/0x1f8
kernfs_drain_open_files+0x17c/0x440
kernfs_drain+0x2dc/0x360
kernfs_show+0x1b8/0x288
cgroup_file_show+0x150/0x268
cgroup_pressure_write+0x1dc/0x340
cgroup_file_write+0x274/0x548
Reproduction Steps:
1. Open test/cpu.pressure and establish epoll monitoring
2. Disable monitoring: echo 0 > test/cgroup.pressure
3. Re-enable monitoring: echo 1 > test/cgroup.pressure
The race condition occurs because:
1. When cgroup.pressure is disabled (echo 0 > cgroup.pressure), it:
- Releases PSI triggers via cgroup_file_release()
- Frees of->priv through kernfs_drain_open_files()
2. While epoll still holds reference to the file and continues polling
3. Re-enabling (echo 1 > cgroup.pressure) accesses freed of->priv
epolling disable/enable cgroup.pressure
fd=open(cpu.pressure)
while(1)
...
epoll_wait
kernfs_fop_poll
kernfs_get_active = true echo 0 > cgroup.pressure
... cgroup_file_show
kernfs_show
// inactive kn
kernfs_drain_open_files
cft->release(of);
kfree(ctx);
...
kernfs_get_active = false
echo 1 > cgroup.pressure
kernfs_show
kernfs_activate_one(kn);
kernfs_fop_poll
kernfs_get_active = true
cgroup_file_poll
psi_trigger_poll
// UAF
...
end: close(fd)
To address this issue, introduce kernfs_get_active_of() for kernfs open
files to obtain active references. This function will fail if the open file
has been released. Replace kernfs_get_active() with kernfs_get_active_of()
to prevent further operations on released file descriptors.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.2% · higher than 4% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
KE
Kernel · Linux
6.1 before 6.1.153; 6.2 before 6.6.107; 6.7 before 6.12.48; 6.13 before 6.16.8; 6.17; 6.17; +3 more · source: NVD
DL
Debian Linux · Debian
11.0 · source: NVD
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-39881
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-39881
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/34d9cafd469c69ad85e6a36b4303c78382cf5c79
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c9ba2777d6c86025e1ba4186dc5cd930e40ec5f
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7e64474aba78d240f7804f48f2d454dcca78b15f
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/854baafc00c433cccbe0ab4231b77aeb9b637b77
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ac5cda4fae8818cf1963317bb699f7f2f85b60af
Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html
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