Kernel memory disclosure and corruption via RX race
Published May 20, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Race condition in the AF_XDP generic RX path in Linux allows local users to read or write kernel memory through shared UMEM. Two CPUs handling sockets backed by one xsk_buff_pool can concurrently consume the shared FILL queue because the receive lock belongs to each socket, producing duplicate or out-of-bounds buffers. Exploitation requires local users to create two AF_XDP sockets, share one UMEM, attach a generic-XDP redirect program, and drive concurrent packet reception; consequences include kernel-memory disclosure, attacker-influenced writes, oopses, and panics.
Summary
What happened
Race condition in the AF_XDP generic RX path in Linux allows local users to read or write kernel memory through shared UMEM. Two CPUs handling sockets backed by one xsk_buff_pool can concurrently consume the shared FILL queue because the receive lock belongs to each socket, producing duplicate or out-of-bounds buffers. Exploitation requires local users to create two AF_XDP sockets, share one UMEM, attach a generic-XDP redirect program, and drive concurrent packet reception; consequences include kernel-memory disclosure, attacker-influenced writes, oopses, and panics.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-37920
- Published
- May 20, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 20, 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=5.1.20 <5.2
- Affected versionversion=5.2.3 <5.3
- Affected versionversion=5.3
- Affected versionversion=8a090e3b73eaffe18e08ccc3fb5abecf6b0a9781
- Affected versionversion=bf0bdd1343efbbf65b4d53aef1fce14acbd79d50 <65d3c570614b892257dc58a1b202908242ecf8fd
- Affected versionversion=bf0bdd1343efbbf65b4d53aef1fce14acbd79d50 <75a240a3e8abf17b9e00b0ef0492b1bbaa932251
- Affected versionversion=bf0bdd1343efbbf65b4d53aef1fce14acbd79d50 <975b372313dc018b9bd6cc0d85d188787054b19e
- Affected versionversion=bf0bdd1343efbbf65b4d53aef1fce14acbd79d50 <a1356ac7749cafc4e27aa62c0c4604b5dca4983e
- Affected versionversion=bf0bdd1343efbbf65b4d53aef1fce14acbd79d50 <b6978c565ce33658543c637060852434b4248d30
- Affected versionversion=fd7c22ba7a0ad898b9ecf77dd53f5ccc48492e35
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
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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