CVE-2025-40042
Vulnerability Summary
Timeline
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Fix race condition in kprobe initialization causing NULL pointer dereference There is a critical race condition in kprobe initialization that can lead to NULL pointer dereference and kernel crash. [1135630.084782] Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address 0000710a04630000 ... [1135630.260314] pstate: 404003c9 (nZcv DAIF +PAN -UAO) [1135630.269239] pc : kprobe_perf_func+0x30/0x260 [1135630.277643] lr : kprobe_dispatcher+0x44/0x60 [1135630.286041] sp : ffffaeff4977fa40 [1135630.293441] x29: ffffaeff4977fa40 x28: ffffaf015340e400 [1135630.302837] x27: 0000000000000000 x26: 0000000000000000 [1135630.312257] x25: ffffaf029ed108a8 x24: ffffaf015340e528 [1135630.321705] x23: ffffaeff4977fc50 x22: ffffaeff4977fc50 [1135630.331154] x21: 0000000000000000 x20: ffffaeff4977fc50 [1135630.340586] x19: ffffaf015340e400 x18: 0000000000000000 [1135630.349985] x17: 0000000000000000 x16: 0000000000000000 [1135630.359285] x15: 0000000000000000 x14: 0000000000000000 [1135630.368445] x13: 0000000000000000 x12: 0000000000000000 [1135630.377473] x11: 0000000000000000 x10: 0000000000000000 [1135630.386411] x9 : 0000000000000000 x8 : 0000000000000000 [1135630.395252] x7 : 0000000000000000 x6 : 0000000000000000 [1135630.403963] x5 : 0000000000000000 x4 : 0000000000000000 [1135630.412545] x3 : 0000710a04630000 x2 : 0000000000000006 [1135630.421021] x1 : ffffaeff4977fc50 x0 : 0000710a04630000 [1135630.429410] Call trace: [1135630.434828] kprobe_perf_func+0x30/0x260 [1135630.441661] kprobe_dispatcher+0x44/0x60 [1135630.448396] aggr_pre_handler+0x70/0xc8 [1135630.454959] kprobe_breakpoint_handler+0x140/0x1e0 [1135630.462435] brk_handler+0xbc/0xd8 [1135630.468437] do_debug_exception+0x84/0x138 [1135630.475074] el1_dbg+0x18/0x8c [1135630.480582] security_file_permission+0x0/0xd0 [1135630.487426] vfs_write+0x70/0x1c0 [1135630.493059] ksys_write+0x5c/0xc8 [1135630.498638] __arm64_sys_write+0x24/0x30 [1135630.504821] el0_svc_common+0x78/0x130 [1135630.510838] el0_svc_handler+0x38/0x78 [1135630.516834] el0_svc+0x8/0x1b0 kernel/trace/trace_kprobe.c: 1308 0xffff3df8995039ec <kprobe_perf_func+0x2c>: ldr x21, [x24,#120] include/linux/compiler.h: 294 0xffff3df8995039f0 <kprobe_perf_func+0x30>: ldr x1, [x21,x0] kernel/trace/trace_kprobe.c 1308: head = this_cpu_ptr(call->perf_events); 1309: if (hlist_empty(head)) 1310: return 0; crash> struct trace_event_call -o struct trace_event_call { ... [120] struct hlist_head *perf_events; //(call->perf_event) ... } crash> struct trace_event_call ffffaf015340e528 struct trace_event_call { ... perf_events = 0xffff0ad5fa89f088, //this value is correct, but x21 = 0 ... } Race Condition Analysis: The race occurs between kprobe activation and perf_events initialization: CPU0 CPU1 ==== ==== perf_kprobe_init perf_trace_event_init tp_event->perf_events = list;(1) tp_event->class->reg (2)← KPROBE ACTIVE Debug exception triggers ... kprobe_dispatcher kprobe_perf_func (tk->tp.flags & TP_FLAG_PROFILE) head = this_cpu_ptr(call->perf_events)(3) (perf_events is still NULL) Problem: 1. CPU0 executes (1) assigning tp_event->perf_events = list 2. CPU0 executes (2) enabling kprobe functionality via class->reg() 3. CPU1 triggers and reaches kprobe_dispatcher 4. CPU1 checks TP_FLAG_PROFILE - condition passes (step 2 completed) 5. CPU1 calls kprobe_perf_func() and crashes at (3) because call->perf_events is still NULL CPU1 sees that kprobe functionality is enabled but does not see that perf_events has been assigned. Add pairing read an ---truncated---
EPSS Trends
Current EPSS score: 0.21%• Percentile: 12%
Affected Systems
- debian•linux
< 5.10.247-1 | < 6.1.158-1 | < 6.12.57-1 | < 6.17.6-1
- debian•linux-6.1
< 6.1.158-1~deb11u1
- ubuntu•linux
all | < 5.15.0-170.180 | < 6.8.0-106.106 | < 6.17.0-14.14
- ubuntu•linux-allwinner-5.19
all
- ubuntu•linux-aws
all | < 5.15.0-1100.107 | < 6.8.0-1050.53 | < 6.17.0-1007.7
- ubuntu•linux-aws-5.0
all
- ubuntu•linux-aws-5.11
all
- ubuntu•linux-aws-5.13
all
- ubuntu•linux-aws-5.15
< 5.15.0-1100.107~20.04.2
- ubuntu•linux-aws-5.19
all
- ubuntu•linux-aws-5.3
all
- ubuntu•linux-aws-5.4
all
- ubuntu•linux-aws-5.8
all
- ubuntu•linux-aws-6.14
all
- ubuntu•linux-aws-6.17
< 6.17.0-1007.7~24.04.1
- ubuntu•linux-aws-6.2
all
- ubuntu•linux-aws-6.5
all
- ubuntu•linux-aws-6.8
< 6.8.0-1050.53~22.04.1
- ubuntu•linux-aws-fips
all | < 5.15.0-1100.107+fips1 | < 6.8.0-1050.53+fips1
- ubuntu•linux-aws-hwe
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure
all | all | < 5.15.0-1109.118 | < 6.8.0-1051.57 | < 6.17.0-1008.8
- ubuntu•linux-azure-4.15
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-5.11
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-5.13
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-5.15
< 5.15.0-1110.119~20.04.1
- ubuntu•linux-azure-5.19
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-5.3
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-5.4
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-5.8
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-6.11
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-6.14
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-6.2
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-6.5
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-6.8
< 6.8.0-1051.57~22.04.1
- ubuntu•linux-azure-edge
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-fde
all | all | all | all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-fde-5.19
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-fde-6.14
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-fde-6.2
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-fde-6.8
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-fips
all | < 5.15.0-1109.118+fips1 | < 6.8.0-1052.58+fips1
- ubuntu•linux-azure-nvidia
all
- ubuntu•linux-azure-nvidia-6.14
all
- ubuntu•linux-bluefield
all | all | < 5.15.0-1084.86 | < 6.8.0-1017.21
- ubuntu•linux-fips
all | < 5.15.0-170.180+fips1 | < 6.8.0-106.106+fips1
- ubuntu•linux-gcp
all | all | < 5.15.0-1100.109 | < 6.8.0-1052.55 | < 6.17.0-1007.7
- ubuntu•linux-gcp-4.15
all
- ubuntu•linux-gcp-5.11
all
- ubuntu•linux-gcp-5.13
all
- ubuntu•linux-gcp-5.15
< 5.15.0-1100.109~20.04.1
Showing first 50 affected entries in server-rendered view.
References (41)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/07926ce598a95de6fd874a74fb510e2ebdfd0aae
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9c4951b691bb8d7a004acd010f45144391f85ea6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/95dd33361061f808d1f68616d69ada639e737cfa
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a6e89ada1ff6b70df73f579071ffa6ade8ae7f98
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1a301228c0a8aedc3154fb1a274456f487416b96
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0fa388ab2c290ef1115ff88ae88e881d0fb2db02
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5ebea6561649d30ec7a18fea23d7f76738dae916
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9cf9aa7b0acfde7545c1a1d912576e9bab28dc6f
- https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2025-40042
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-40042
- https://git.kernel.org/linus/9cf9aa7b0acfde7545c1a1d912576e9bab28dc6f
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8029-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8030-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8033-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8033-2
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8033-3
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8034-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8033-4
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8029-2
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8033-5
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8034-2
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8048-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8033-6
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8033-7
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8033-8
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8029-3
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8095-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8100-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8095-2
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8095-3
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8095-4
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8125-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8126-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8095-5
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8141-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8163-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8165-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8163-2
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8243-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8261-1
- https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2025-40042