CVE-2025-39945

High

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cnic: Fix use-after-free bugs in cnic_delete_task The original code uses cancel_delayed_work() in cnic_cm_stop_bnx2x_hw(), which does not guarantee that the delayed work item 'delete_task' has fully completed if it was already running. Additionally, the delayed work item is cyclic, the flush_workqueue() in cnic_cm_stop_bnx2x_hw() only blocks and waits for work items that were already queued to the workqueue prior to its invocation. Any work items submitted after flush_workqueue() is called are not included in the set of tasks that the flush operation awaits. This means that after the cyclic work items have finished executing, a delayed work item may still exist in the workqueue. This leads to use-after-free scenarios where the cnic_dev is deallocated by cnic_free_dev(), while delete_task remains active and attempt to dereference cnic_dev in cnic_delete_task(). A typical race condition is illustrated below: CPU 0 (cleanup) | CPU 1 (delayed work callback) cnic_netdev_event() | cnic_stop_hw() | cnic_delete_task() cnic_cm_stop_bnx2x_hw() | ... cancel_delayed_work() | /* the queue_delayed_work() flush_workqueue() | executes after flush_workqueue()*/ | queue_delayed_work() cnic_free_dev(dev)//free | cnic_delete_task() //new instance | dev = cp->dev; //use Replace cancel_delayed_work() with cancel_delayed_work_sync() to ensure that the cyclic delayed work item is properly canceled and that any ongoing execution of the work item completes before the cnic_dev is deallocated. Furthermore, since cancel_delayed_work_sync() uses __flush_work(work, true) to synchronously wait for any currently executing instance of the work item to finish, the flush_workqueue() becomes redundant and should be removed. This bug was identified through static analysis. To reproduce the issue and validate the fix, I simulated the cnic PCI device in QEMU and introduced intentional delays — such as inserting calls to ssleep() within the cnic_delete_task() function — to increase the likelihood of triggering the bug.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-10-04
Last modified 2026-01-23
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

7.8

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

Weakness type

CWE-416

CVE-2025-39945 is a Use After Free vulnerability

What is Use After Free?

The product references memory after it has been freed, which may cause it to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 2.6.37 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.4.300, 5.10.245, 5.15.194, 6.1.154, 6.6.108, 6.12.49, 6.16.9, 6.17 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 2.6.37
Fixed in
✓ 5.4.300 5.4.x ✓ 5.10.245 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.194 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.154 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.108 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.49 6.12.x ✓ 6.16.9 6.16.x ✓ 6.17

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-39945 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-2025-39945?

    CVE-2025-39945 is a High severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10 , classified as an Use After Free flaw (CWE-416) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.37 onward and has been patched in 5.4.300, 5.10.245, 5.15.194 and others. CVE-2025-39945 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-39945?

    CVE-2025-39945 has a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10, rated High severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2025-39945?

    Yes — CVE-2025-39945 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.4.300, 5.10.245, 5.15.194 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 2.6.37 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-39945 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-39945 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is Use After Free (CWE-416)?

    The product references memory after it has been freed, which may cause it to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. View CWE-416 on MITRE CWE →