CVE-2025-68740

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ima: Handle error code returned by ima_filter_rule_match() In ima_match_rules(), if ima_filter_rule_match() returns -ENOENT due to the rule being NULL, the function incorrectly skips the 'if (!rc)' check and sets 'result = true'. The LSM rule is considered a match, causing extra files to be measured by IMA. This issue can be reproduced in the following scenario: After unloading the SELinux policy module via 'semodule -d', if an IMA measurement is triggered before ima_lsm_rules is updated, in ima_match_rules(), the first call to ima_filter_rule_match() returns -ESTALE. This causes the code to enter the 'if (rc == -ESTALE && !rule_reinitialized)' block, perform ima_lsm_copy_rule() and retry. In ima_lsm_copy_rule(), since the SELinux module has been removed, the rule becomes NULL, and the second call to ima_filter_rule_match() returns -ENOENT. This bypasses the 'if (!rc)' check and results in a false match. Call trace: selinux_audit_rule_match+0x310/0x3b8 security_audit_rule_match+0x60/0xa0 ima_match_rules+0x2e4/0x4a0 ima_match_policy+0x9c/0x1e8 ima_get_action+0x48/0x60 process_measurement+0xf8/0xa98 ima_bprm_check+0x98/0xd8 security_bprm_check+0x5c/0x78 search_binary_handler+0x6c/0x318 exec_binprm+0x58/0x1b8 bprm_execve+0xb8/0x130 do_execveat_common.isra.0+0x1a8/0x258 __arm64_sys_execve+0x48/0x68 invoke_syscall+0x50/0x128 el0_svc_common.constprop.0+0xc8/0xf0 do_el0_svc+0x24/0x38 el0_svc+0x44/0x200 el0t_64_sync_handler+0x100/0x130 el0t_64_sync+0x3c8/0x3d0 Fix this by changing 'if (!rc)' to 'if (rc <= 0)' to ensure that error codes like -ENOENT do not bypass the check and accidentally result in a successful match.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-12-24
Last modified 2026-04-15
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 2.6.30 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.10.248, 5.15.198, 6.1.160, 6.6.120, 6.12.63, 6.17.13, 6.18.2, 6.19 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 2.6.30
Fixed in
✓ 5.10.248 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.198 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.160 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.120 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.63 6.12.x ✓ 6.17.13 6.17.x ✓ 6.18.2 6.18.x ✓ 6.19

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-68740 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-2025-68740?

    CVE-2025-68740 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.30 onward and has been patched in 5.10.248, 5.15.198, 6.1.160 and others. CVE-2025-68740 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2025-68740?

    Yes — CVE-2025-68740 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.248, 5.15.198, 6.1.160 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 2.6.30 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-68740 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-68740 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.