CVE-2025-40209
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: btrfs: fix memory leak of qgroup_list in btrfs_add_qgroup_relation When btrfs_add_qgroup_relation() is called with invalid qgroup levels (src >= dst), the function returns -EINVAL directly without freeing the preallocated qgroup_list structure passed by the caller. This causes a memory leak because the caller unconditionally sets the pointer to NULL after the call, preventing any cleanup. The issue occurs because the level validation check happens before the mutex is acquired and before any error handling path that would free the prealloc pointer. On this early return, the cleanup code at the 'out' label (which includes kfree(prealloc)) is never reached. In btrfs_ioctl_qgroup_assign(), the code pattern is: prealloc = kzalloc(sizeof(*prealloc), GFP_KERNEL); ret = btrfs_add_qgroup_relation(trans, sa->src, sa->dst, prealloc); prealloc = NULL; // Always set to NULL regardless of return value ... kfree(prealloc); // This becomes kfree(NULL), does nothing When the level check fails, 'prealloc' is never freed by either the callee or the caller, resulting in a 64-byte memory leak per failed operation. This can be triggered repeatedly by an unprivileged user with access to a writable btrfs mount, potentially exhausting kernel memory. Fix this by freeing prealloc before the early return, ensuring prealloc is always freed on all error paths.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
6.11
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.12.58,
6.17.8,
6.18
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-40209 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3412d0e973e8f8381747d69033eda809a57a2581
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a4d9ebe23bcb79d9d057e3c995db73b7b3aae414
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f260c6aff0b8af236084012d14f9f1bf792ea883
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2025-40209?
CVE-2025-40209 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.11 onward and has been patched in 6.12.58, 6.17.8 and 6.18. CVE-2025-40209 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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Is there a patch available for CVE-2025-40209?
Yes — CVE-2025-40209 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.58, 6.17.8 and 6.18. If you are running Linux kernel 6.11 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2025-40209 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2025-40209 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.