Kernel compromise via fprobe module unload race
Published May 9, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux kernel fprobe events allows local users with tracefs write access to corrupt kernel memory during module unloading. find_tracepoint() released the module-list lock before try_module_get() acquired a reference, allowing concurrent unloading to free the module first. Successful exploitation can disclose or corrupt kernel memory, crash the system, or redirect kernel control flow without victim interaction.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux kernel fprobe events allows local users with tracefs write access to corrupt kernel memory during module unloading. find_tracepoint() released the module-list lock before try_module_get() acquired a reference, allowing concurrent unloading to free the module first. Successful exploitation can disclose or corrupt kernel memory, crash the system, or redirect kernel control flow without victim interaction.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-37845
- Published
- May 9, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 9, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=6.12.21 <6.12.24
- Affected versionversion=6.13.9 <6.13.12
- Affected versionversion=6.14
- Affected versionversion=71c9cf87776eaa556fc0a0a060df94200e1f521c <868df4eb784c3ccc7e4340a9ea993cbbedca167e
- Affected versionversion=9db2b8cf4ea07b579db588e0353d5680f5d1f071 <a27d2de2472b1cc7d582ab405d1d5832a80481de
- Affected versionversion=ac91052f0ae5be9e46211ba92cc31c0e3b0a933a <626f01f4d26e8cf92e69c1df53036153c8e98a20
- Affected versionversion=ac91052f0ae5be9e46211ba92cc31c0e3b0a933a <dd941507a9486252d6fcf11814387666792020f3
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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