CVE-2025-23161

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: PCI: vmd: Make vmd_dev::cfg_lock a raw_spinlock_t type The access to the PCI config space via pci_ops::read and pci_ops::write is a low-level hardware access. The functions can be accessed with disabled interrupts even on PREEMPT_RT. The pci_lock is a raw_spinlock_t for this purpose. A spinlock_t becomes a sleeping lock on PREEMPT_RT, so it cannot be acquired with disabled interrupts. The vmd_dev::cfg_lock is accessed in the same context as the pci_lock. Make vmd_dev::cfg_lock a raw_spinlock_t type so it can be used with interrupts disabled. This was reported as: BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at kernel/locking/spinlock_rt.c:48 Call Trace: rt_spin_lock+0x4e/0x130 vmd_pci_read+0x8d/0x100 [vmd] pci_user_read_config_byte+0x6f/0xe0 pci_read_config+0xfe/0x290 sysfs_kf_bin_read+0x68/0x90 [bigeasy: reword commit message] Tested-off-by: Luis Claudio R. Goncalves <[email protected]> [kwilczynski: commit log] [bhelgaas: add back report info from https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/[email protected]/]

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-05-01
Last modified 2025-11-05
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-667

CVE-2025-23161 is a Improper Locking vulnerability

What is Improper Locking?

The product does not properly acquire or release a lock, which can lead to unexpected behaviour. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 4.5 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.15.181, 6.1.135, 6.6.88, 6.12.24, 6.13.12, 6.14.3, 6.15 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 4.5
Fixed in
✓ 5.15.181 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.135 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.88 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.24 6.12.x ✓ 6.13.12 6.13.x ✓ 6.14.3 6.14.x ✓ 6.15

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-23161 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2025-23161?

    CVE-2025-23161 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as an Improper Locking flaw (CWE-667) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 4.5 onward and has been patched in 5.15.181, 6.1.135, 6.6.88 and others. CVE-2025-23161 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-23161?

    CVE-2025-23161 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2025-23161?

    Yes — CVE-2025-23161 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.15.181, 6.1.135, 6.6.88 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 4.5 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-23161 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-23161 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is Improper Locking (CWE-667)?

    The product does not properly acquire or release a lock, which can lead to unexpected behaviour. View CWE-667 on MITRE CWE →