CVE-2025-68263
CriticalIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ksmbd: ipc: fix use-after-free in ipc_msg_send_request ipc_msg_send_request() waits for a generic netlink reply using an ipc_msg_table_entry on the stack. The generic netlink handler (handle_generic_event()/handle_response()) fills entry->response under ipc_msg_table_lock, but ipc_msg_send_request() used to validate and free entry->response without holding the same lock. Under high concurrency this allows a race where handle_response() is copying data into entry->response while ipc_msg_send_request() has just freed it, leading to a slab-use-after-free reported by KASAN in handle_generic_event(): BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in handle_generic_event+0x3c4/0x5f0 [ksmbd] Write of size 12 at addr ffff888198ee6e20 by task pool/109349 ... Freed by task: kvfree ipc_msg_send_request [ksmbd] ksmbd_rpc_open -> ksmbd_session_rpc_open [ksmbd] Fix by: - Taking ipc_msg_table_lock in ipc_msg_send_request() while validating entry->response, freeing it when invalid, and removing the entry from ipc_msg_table. - Returning the final entry->response pointer to the caller only after the hash entry is removed under the lock. - Returning NULL in the error path, preserving the original API semantics. This makes all accesses to entry->response consistent with handle_response(), which already updates and fills the response buffer under ipc_msg_table_lock, and closes the race that allowed the UAF.
CVSS 3.1 score
9.8
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
5.15
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.1.160,
6.6.120,
6.12.62,
6.17.12,
6.18.1,
6.19
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-68263 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/1fab1fa091f5aa97265648b53ea031deedd26235
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5ac763713a1ef8f9a8bda1dbd81f0318d67baa4e
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/708a620b471a14466f1f52c90bf3f65ebdb31460
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2025-68263?
CVE-2025-68263 is a Critical severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.8 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.15 onward and has been patched in 6.1.160, 6.6.120, 6.12.62 and others. CVE-2025-68263 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-68263?
CVE-2025-68263 has a CVSS score of 9.8 out of 10, rated Critical severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. -
Is there a patch available for CVE-2025-68263?
Yes — CVE-2025-68263 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.160, 6.6.120, 6.12.62 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.15 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2025-68263 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2025-68263 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.