CVE-2025-39881

HighCVSS 7.8/10Last modified Oct 19, 2026

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.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1 7.8/10CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness enumeration

Affected software

No affected versions have been published.

Timeline

Published
Sep 23, 2025
Last modified
Oct 19, 2026
NVD status
Modified

Related CVEs from 2025

CVE-2025-398827.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/mediatek: fix potential OF node use-after-free The for_each_child_CVE-2025-398837.1In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/memory-failure: fix VM_BUG_ON_PAGE(PagePoisoned(page)) when unpoisonCVE-2025-398844.7In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: fix subvolume deletion lockup caused by inodes xarray race TherCVE-2025-398855.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ocfs2: fix recursive semaphore deadlock in fiemap call syzbot detectedCVE-2025-398865.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Tell memcg to use allow_spinning=false path in bpf_timer_init() CCVE-2025-398875.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing/osnoise: Fix null-ptr-deref in bitmap_parselist() A crash was CVE-2025-398887.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fuse: Block access to folio overlimit syz reported a slab-out-of-boundCVE-2025-398895.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: l2cap: Check encryption key size on incoming connection ThiCVE-2025-39898.8A vulnerability classified as critical was found in TOTOLINK N150RT 3.4.0-B20190525. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionalCVE-2025-398905.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath12k: fix memory leak in ath12k_service_ready_ext_event CurrenCVE-2025-398917.1In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mwifiex: Initialize the chan_stats array to zero The adapter->chCVE-2025-398925.5In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ASoC: soc-core: care NULL dirver name on snd_soc_lookup_component_noloc
CVE-2025-39881: High severity, CVSS 7.8 | Vulnix