CVE-2025-37756

Published May 1, 2025

Last updated 23 days ago

Overview

AI description

Automated description summarized from trusted sources.

CVE-2025-37756 describes a vulnerability within the Linux kernel's TLS (Transport Layer Security) subsystem. The issue, identified by syzbot, stemmed from the ability to disconnect a TLS socket, which could lead to various unexpected scenarios and trigger warnings within the kernel, specifically in `tls_strp.c`. To address this, the resolution involved explicitly disallowing the `disconnect` operation for TLS sockets, as properly supporting this functionality, particularly with offload enabled, was deemed complex due to the need to ensure all packets are acknowledged. Subsequently, a related vulnerability emerged that acts as a bypass for the CVE-2025-37756 patch. This bypass affects the Linux kernel's KTLS (Kernel TLS) subsystem when it interacts with BPF sockmap. The bypass can be triggered by draining the `skb` using BPF, mirroring the `tcp_disconnect` behavior associated with the original CVE-2025-37756. The underlying flaw in this bypass involves the kernel's handling of KTLS and BPF sockmaps, where the `tls_init` path fails to verify if a socket is already linked to a sockmap, potentially allowing exploitation by a malicious user.

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: tls: explicitly disallow disconnect syzbot discovered that it can disconnect a TLS socket and then run into all sort of unexpected corner cases. I have a vague recollection of Eric pointing this out to us a long time ago. Supporting disconnect is really hard, for one thing if offload is enabled we'd need to wait for all packets to be _acked_. Disconnect is not commonly used, disallow it. The immediate problem syzbot run into is the warning in the strp, but that's just the easiest bug to trigger: WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 5834 at net/tls/tls_strp.c:486 tls_strp_msg_load+0x72e/0xa80 net/tls/tls_strp.c:486 RIP: 0010:tls_strp_msg_load+0x72e/0xa80 net/tls/tls_strp.c:486 Call Trace: <TASK> tls_rx_rec_wait+0x280/0xa60 net/tls/tls_sw.c:1363 tls_sw_recvmsg+0x85c/0x1c30 net/tls/tls_sw.c:2043 inet6_recvmsg+0x2c9/0x730 net/ipv6/af_inet6.c:678 sock_recvmsg_nosec net/socket.c:1023 [inline] sock_recvmsg+0x109/0x280 net/socket.c:1045 __sys_recvfrom+0x202/0x380 net/socket.c:2237
Source
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
NVD status
Modified
Products
linux_kernel, debian_linux

Risk scores

CVSS 3.1

Type
Primary
Base score
5.5
Impact score
3.6
Exploitability score
1.8
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Severity
MEDIUM

Weaknesses

nvd@nist.gov
NVD-CWE-noinfo

Social media

Hype score
Not currently trending

Configurations

  1. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cgroup: Avoid iteration of dying tasks with zero refcount The commit 260fbcb92bbea ("cgroup: Move dying_tasks cleanup from cgroup_task_release() to cgroup_task_free()") extended the lifetime of tasks on the dying_tasks list. The iterators have provision to go through dying_tasks because of dying threadgroup leaders or explicit CSS_TASK_ITER_WITH_DEAD, however, it was expected that such tasks can obtain a new reference (that is possible before cgroup_task_release()/put_task_struct_rcu_user()). The tasks after cgroup_task_release() and before cgroup_task_free() are subject to race when they may or may not have ->usage count > 0. The race window is between css_task_iter_next() invocations when css_set_lock is released and we may arrive at a new ->task_pos. The iterator should not attempt to resurrect tasks whose ->usage count dropped to zero. (When that happens, __put_task_struct_rcu_cb() is already imminent and the returned task_struct would could be used after free.) As for the fix, we cannot simply check the signal->live count of a task on the dying list because that won't distinguish regular zombies waiting to be reaped from RCU remnant tasks that are going to be free'd. Therefore add an extra check to rule out ->usage==0 tasks from any iteration. The repeat: loop in css_task_iter_advance() doesn't consider ->usage count, so add a new loop to css_task_iter_next() to skip de-used tasks on the dying_list. Rough illustration of the possible race R (reader of cgroup.procs) T (thread) L (group leader) --------------------------------- -------------------------------- -------------------------------- L exits, signal->live > 0 cgroup_task_dead(L) css_set_skip_task_iters() // skips only cset->tasks list_add_tail(&L->cg_list, &cset->dying_tasks) css_task_iter_next() take css_set_lock css_task_iter_advance() leader && signal->live != 0 => it->task_pos = &L->cg_list release css_set_lock T exits --signal->live == 0 cgroup_task_dead(T) // css_set_lock release_task(T) cgroup_task_release(T) release_task(L) // zap_leader cgroup_task_release(L) put_task_struct_rcu_user(L) ...RCU... put_task_struct(L) L->usage = 0 /* L still on dying_tasks */ ...RCU... __put_task_struct(L) css_task_iter_next() // another iteration take css_set_lock it->task_pos = &L->cg_list get_task_struct(L) => addition on 0 drop css_set_lock cgroup_task_free(L) css_set_skip_task_iters() // dying skip comes too late free_task(L) cgroup_procs_show() task_pid_vnr(L)•CVE-2026-98163