CVE-2025-39965

Published Oct 13, 2025

Last updated 5 months ago

CVSS medium 5.5
Linux Kernel

Overview

AI description

Automated description summarized from trusted sources.

CVE-2025-39965 is a use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability in the Linux kernel's XFRM subsystem, which is responsible for implementing the IPsec protocol. The vulnerability stems from the `xfrm_alloc_spi` function in the `net/xfrm/xfrm_state.c` file. This function, which is called via the `XFRM_MSG_ALLOCSPI` Netlink message from user space, is responsible for allocating SPIs (Security Parameter Indexes). A recent commit modified the allocation logic to prevent SPI duplication. However, the `get_random_u32_inclusive` function can return 0, which isn't checked by `xfrm_alloc_spi`. As a result, an `xfrm_state` object can be allocated with an SPI value of 0 and added to the `byspi` global list. Since SPI=0 typically signifies that no SPI is assigned, the `__xfrm_state_delete` function doesn't remove such objects from the `byspi` list when cleaning up. This leaves a dangling pointer in the `byspi` list, leading to a use-after-free condition when the memory is accessed again.

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: xfrm_alloc_spi shouldn't use 0 as SPI x->id.spi == 0 means "no SPI assigned", but since commit 94f39804d891 ("xfrm: Duplicate SPI Handling"), we now create states and add them to the byspi list with this value. __xfrm_state_delete doesn't remove those states from the byspi list, since they shouldn't be there, and this shows up as a UAF the next time we go through the byspi list.
Source
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
NVD status
Analyzed
Products
linux_kernel

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

  1. Analysis of a Use-After-Free in the Linux XFRM subsystem (CVE-2025-39965) by @streypaws https://t.co/ZWOVtBV6Jg #infosec #Linux https://t.co/ecRglI9kF2

    @0xor0ne

    1 Jan 2026

    5921 Impressions

    15 Retweets

    100 Likes

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  2. CVE-2025-39965: UAF in Linux Kernel XFRM https://t.co/i8R2Frasny A July fix for duplicate SPI allocation introduced a UAF vulnerability in the IPsec XFRM subsystem:

    @hackyboiz

    26 Oct 2025

    4367 Impressions

    10 Retweets

    47 Likes

    19 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    1 Quote

  3. I analysed a recent KernelCTF 1-Day (CVE-2025-39965) which is a UaF in Linux XFRM subsystem, including the XFRM internals, the patch-fix, vulnerability analysis, along with a trigger PoC. Enjoy! Blog: https://t.co/IhfKiGAmkZ PoC: https://t.co/EHtvcD9gNn

    @streypaws

    19 Oct 2025

    6702 Impressions

    24 Retweets

    102 Likes

    42 Bookmarks

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  4. CVE-2025-39965 In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: xfrm_alloc_spi shouldn't use 0 as SPI x->id.spi == 0 means "no SPI assigned", but since co… https://t.co/KNoufAyiRm

    @CVEnew

    13 Oct 2025

    367 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

Configurations

Related CVEs

  1. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tipc: fix slab-use-after-free Read in tipc_aead_decrypt_done tipc_aead_decrypt() goes straight from tipc_bearer_hold(b) to crypto_aead_decrypt(req) without taking a reference on the netns, unlike the encrypt path. When crypto_aead_decrypt() is offloaded asynchronously (e.g. the SIMD aead wrapper queuing to cryptd), the cryptd worker runs tipc_aead_decrypt_done() later. If the bearer's netns is torn down in the meantime, cleanup_net() -> tipc_exit_net() -> tipc_crypto_stop() frees the per-netns tipc_crypto, and the completion then reads it: tipc_aead_decrypt_done() dereferences aead->crypto->stats and aead->crypto->net, and tipc_crypto_rcv_complete() dereferences aead->crypto->aead[] and the node table -- reading freed memory. Decoded KASAN splat (v7.1-rc7, CONFIG_KASAN_INLINE + TIPC + TIPC_CRYPTO): BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in tipc_aead_decrypt_done (net/tipc/crypto.c:999) Read of size 8 at addr ffff8881056258a8 by task kworker/u16:2/51 Workqueue: events_unbound Call Trace: tipc_aead_decrypt_done (net/tipc/crypto.c:999) process_one_work (kernel/workqueue.c:3314) worker_thread (kernel/workqueue.c:3397 kernel/workqueue.c:3478) kthread (kernel/kthread.c:436) ret_from_fork (arch/x86/kernel/process.c:158) ret_from_fork_asm (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:245) Allocated by task 169: __kasan_kmalloc (mm/kasan/common.c:398 mm/kasan/common.c:415) tipc_crypto_start (net/tipc/crypto.c:1502) tipc_init_net (net/tipc/core.c:72) ops_init (net/core/net_namespace.c:137) setup_net (net/core/net_namespace.c:446) copy_net_ns (net/core/net_namespace.c:579) create_new_namespaces (kernel/nsproxy.c:132) __x64_sys_unshare (kernel/fork.c:3316) do_syscall_64 (arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63) entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:121) Freed by task 8: kfree (mm/slub.c:6566) tipc_exit_net (net/tipc/core.c:119) cleanup_net (net/core/net_namespace.c:704) process_one_work (kernel/workqueue.c:3314) kthread (kernel/kthread.c:436) This is the same class of bug that commit e279024617134 ("net/tipc: fix slab-use-after-free Read in tipc_aead_encrypt_done") fixed for the encrypt side. The encrypt path takes maybe_get_net(aead->crypto->net) before crypto_aead_encrypt() and drops it with put_net() on the synchronous return paths and in tipc_aead_encrypt_done(); the -EINPROGRESS/-EBUSY return keeps the reference for the async callback to release. The decrypt path was left without the equivalent guard. Mirror the encrypt-side fix on the decrypt path: take a net reference before crypto_aead_decrypt() (failing with -ENODEV and the matching bearer put if it cannot be acquired), keep it across the -EINPROGRESS/-EBUSY async return, and drop it with put_net() on the synchronous success/error return and at the end of tipc_aead_decrypt_done(). Reproduced under KASAN on v7.1-rc7: a UDP bearer with a cluster key is flooded with crafted encrypted frames from an unknown peer (driving the cluster-key decrypt path) while the bearer's netns is repeatedly torn down. The completion must run asynchronously to outlive tipc_crypto_stop(); on x86 the stock aesni gcm(aes) now decrypts synchronously, so the async path was exercised via cryptd offload. The unguarded aead->crypto dereference in tipc_aead_decrypt_done() is the unpatched upstream path; tipc_aead_decrypt() still lacks maybe_get_net(aead->crypto->net), so the completion can outlive the free on any config where crypto_aead_decrypt() goes async. Found by 0sec automated security-research tooling (https://0sec.ai).•CVE-2026-63801
  2. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv4: account for fraggap on the paged allocation path In __ip_append_data(), when the paged-allocation branch is taken, alloclen and pagedlen are computed as alloclen = fragheaderlen + transhdrlen; pagedlen = datalen - transhdrlen; datalen already includes fraggap, but the fraggap bytes carried over from the previous skb are copied into the new skb's linear area at offset transhdrlen by the subsequent skb_copy_and_csum_bits(). The linear area is therefore undersized by fraggap bytes while pagedlen is overstated by the same amount. The non-paged branch sets alloclen to fraglen, which already accounts for fraggap because datalen does. Bring the paged branch in line by adding fraggap to alloclen and subtracting it from pagedlen. After this adjustment, copy no longer collapses to -fraggap on the paged path, so remove the stale comment describing that old arithmetic.•CVE-2026-53366
  3. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vsock/virtio: fix zerocopy completion for multi-skb sends When a large message is fragmented into multiple skbs, the zerocopy uarg is only allocated and attached to the last skb in the loop. Non-final skbs carry pinned user pages with no completion tracking, so the kernel has no way to notify userspace when those pages are safe to reuse. If the loop breaks early the uarg is never allocated at all, leaking pinned pages with no completion notification. Fix this by following the approach used by TCP: allocate the zerocopy uarg (if not provided by the caller) before the send loop and attach it to every skb via skb_zcopy_set(), which takes a reference per skb. Each skb's completion properly decrements the refcount, and the notification only fires after the last skb is freed. On failure, if no data was sent, the uarg is cleanly aborted via net_zcopy_put_abort(). This issue was initially discovered by sashiko while reviewing commit 1cb36e252211 ("vsock/virtio: fix MSG_ZEROCOPY pinned-pages accounting") but was pre-existing.•CVE-2026-53365
  4. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: hci_conn: Fix memory leak in hci_le_big_terminate() hci_le_big_terminate() allocates iso_list_data via kzalloc_obj but returns 0 without freeing it when neither pa_sync_term nor big_sync_term flags are set after evaluating the PA and BIG sync connection state. This early-return path was introduced when hci_le_big_terminate() was refactored to take struct hci_conn instead of raw u8 parameters, adding PA/BIG flag evaluation logic. The existing kfree() on hci_cmd_sync_queue failure does not cover this path.•CVE-2026-53364
  5. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: iptfs: preserve shared-frag marker in iptfs_consume_frags() iptfs_consume_frags() transfers paged fragments from one socket buffer to another but fails to propagate the SKBFL_SHARED_FRAG flag. This is the same class of bug that was fixed in skb_try_coalesce() for CVE-2026-46300: when fragments backed by read-only page-cache pages are merged, the marker indicating their shared nature must be preserved so that ESP can decide correctly whether in-place encryption is safe. Apply the same two-line fix used in skb_try_coalesce() to iptfs_consume_frags().•CVE-2026-53363

References

Sources include official advisories and independent security research.