CVE-2025-40323

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fbcon: Set fb_display[i]->mode to NULL when the mode is released Recently, we discovered the following issue through syzkaller: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in fb_mode_is_equal+0x285/0x2f0 Read of size 4 at addr ff11000001b3c69c by task syz.xxx ... Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0xab/0xe0 print_address_description.constprop.0+0x2c/0x390 print_report+0xb9/0x280 kasan_report+0xb8/0xf0 fb_mode_is_equal+0x285/0x2f0 fbcon_mode_deleted+0x129/0x180 fb_set_var+0xe7f/0x11d0 do_fb_ioctl+0x6a0/0x750 fb_ioctl+0xe0/0x140 __x64_sys_ioctl+0x193/0x210 do_syscall_64+0x5f/0x9c0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e Based on experimentation and analysis, during framebuffer unregistration, only the memory of fb_info->modelist is freed, without setting the corresponding fb_display[i]->mode to NULL for the freed modes. This leads to UAF issues during subsequent accesses. Here's an example of reproduction steps: 1. With /dev/fb0 already registered in the system, load a kernel module to register a new device /dev/fb1; 2. Set fb1's mode to the global fb_display[] array (via FBIOPUT_CON2FBMAP); 3. Switch console from fb to VGA (to allow normal rmmod of the ko); 4. Unload the kernel module, at this point fb1's modelist is freed, leaving a wild pointer in fb_display[]; 5. Trigger the bug via system calls through fb0 attempting to delete a mode from fb0. Add a check in do_unregister_framebuffer(): if the mode to be freed exists in fb_display[], set the corresponding mode pointer to NULL.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-12-08
Last modified 2026-04-18
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 2.6.12 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.15.203, 6.1.159, 6.6.117, 6.12.58, 6.17.8, 6.18 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 2.6.12
Fixed in
✓ 5.15.203 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.159 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.117 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.58 6.12.x ✓ 6.17.8 6.17.x ✓ 6.18

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-40323 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-2025-40323?

    CVE-2025-40323 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.12 onward and has been patched in 5.15.203, 6.1.159, 6.6.117 and others. CVE-2025-40323 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2025-40323?

    Yes — CVE-2025-40323 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.15.203, 6.1.159, 6.6.117 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 2.6.12 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-40323 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-40323 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.