CVE-2025-37880

Guest deadlock via unaccounted sched_yield time

Published May 9, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Improper locking in Linux 5.3 through 6.14.4 allows local users to hang a User-Mode Linux guest through repeated sched_yield calls. In time-travel mode, the UML syscall path returns from sched_yield without advancing simulated time, so a userspace spinlock can keep running instead of yielding. The issue requires a UML guest using time-travel mode, and CONFIG_UML_MAX_USERSPACE_ITERATIONS determines whether the result is extreme slowdown or deadlock.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper locking in Linux 5.3 through 6.14.4 allows local users to hang a User-Mode Linux guest through repeated sched_yield calls. In time-travel mode, the UML syscall path returns from sched_yield without advancing simulated time, so a userspace spinlock can keep running instead of yielding. The issue requires a UML guest using time-travel mode, and CONFIG_UML_MAX_USERSPACE_ITERATIONS determines whether the result is extreme slowdown or deadlock.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-37880
Published
May 9, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-667, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 9, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 11, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=065038706f77a56754e8f0c2556dab7e22dfe577 <887c5c12e80c8424bd471122d2e8b6b462e12874
  2. Affected versionversion=065038706f77a56754e8f0c2556dab7e22dfe577 <990ddc65173776f1e01e7135d8c1fd5f8fd4d5d2
  3. Affected versionversion=5.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=065038706f77a56754e8f0c2556dab7e22dfe577 <887c5c12e80c8424bd471122d2e8b6b462e12874; version=065038706f77a56754e8f0c2556dab7e22dfe577 <990ddc65173776f1e01e7135d8c1fd5f8fd4d5d2; version=5.3

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
2.0SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
3.3SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

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.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-667Improper Locking
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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