CVE-2025-39871: linux kernel Use-After-Free — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dmaengine: idxd: Remove improper idxd_free The call to idxd_free() introduces a duplicate put_device() leading to a reference count underflow: refcount_t: underflow; use-after-free. WARNING: CPU: 15 PID: 4428 at lib/refcount.c:28 refcount_warn_saturate+0xbe/0x110 ... Call Trace: <TASK> idxd_remove+0xe4/0x120 [idxd] pci_device_remove+0x3f/0xb0 device_release_driver_internal+0x197/0x200 driver_detach+0x48/0x90 bus_remove_driver+0x74/0xf0 pci_unregister_driver+0x2e/0xb0 idxd_exit_module+0x34/0x7a0 [idxd] __do_sys_delete_module.constprop.0+0x183/0x280 do_syscall_64+0x54/0xd70 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e The idxd_unregister_devices() which is invoked at the very beginning of idxd_remove(), already takes care of the necessary put_device() through the following call path: idxd_unregister_devices() -> device_unregister() -> put_device() In addition, when CONFIG_DEBUG_KOBJECT_RELEASE is enabled, put_device() may trigger asynchronous cleanup via schedule_delayed_work(). If idxd_free() is called immediately after, it can result in a use-after-free. Remove the improper idxd_free() to avoid both the refcount underflow and potential memory corruption during module unload.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.8

HIGH

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

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-416 Use After Free

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	6.1.140 — 6.2
linux	linux_kernel	6.6.92 — 6.6.107
linux	linux_kernel	6.12.30 — 6.12.48
linux	linux_kernel	6.14.8 — 6.15
linux	linux_kernel	6.15.1 — 6.16.8
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0e95ee7f532b21206fe3f1c4054002b0d21e3b9c https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/da4fbc1488a4cec6748da685181ee4449a878dac https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dd7a7e43269711d757fc260b0bbdf7138f75de11 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f41c538881eec4dcf5961a242097d447f848cda6

Other References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/24414bbcb37e1af95190af36c21ae51d497e1a9e

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-39871? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dmaengine: idxd: Remove improper idxd_free The call to idxd_free() introduces a duplicate put_device() leading to a reference count underflow: refcount_t: underflow; use-after-free. WARNING: CPU: 15 PID: 4428 at lib/refcount.c:28 refcount_warn_saturate+0xbe/0x110 ... Call Trace: <TASK> idxd_remove+0xe4/0x120 [idxd] pci_device_remove+0x3f/0xb0 device_release_driver_internal+0x197/0x200 driver_detach+0x48/0x90 bus_remove_driver+0x74/0xf0 pci_unregister_driver+0x2e/0xb0 idxd_exit_module+0x34/0x7a0 [idxd] __do_sys_delete_module.constprop.0+0x183/0x280 do_syscall_64+0x54/0xd70 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e The idxd_unregister_devices() which is invoked at the very beginning of idxd_remove(), already takes care of the necessary put_device() through the following call path: idxd_unregister_devices() -> device_unregister() -> put_device() In addition, when CONFIG_DEBUG_KOBJECT_RELEASE is enabled, put_device() may trigger asynchronous cleanup via schedule_delayed_work(). If idxd_free() is called immediately after, it can result in a use-after-free. Remove the improper idxd_free() to avoid both the refcount underflow and potential memory corruption during module unload. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2025-39871? +

CVE-2025-39871 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-39871? +

CVE-2025-39871 affects products from linux, specifically: linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-39871? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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