Local kernel compromise via trace buffer overflow
Published May 20, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Out-of-bounds write in affected Linux kernels allows local users with tracefs access to corrupt kernel memory through trace_pipe. trace_seq_to_buffer copies the trace sequence's used length into a single PAGE_SIZE buffer without capping the copy, so splice writes past the allocated page. Reachability depends on tracefs inode permissions; exploitation can disclose adjacent kernel memory, corrupt it, or crash the system.
Summary
What happened
Out-of-bounds write in affected Linux kernels allows local users with tracefs access to corrupt kernel memory through trace_pipe. trace_seq_to_buffer copies the trace sequence's used length into a single PAGE_SIZE buffer without capping the copy, so splice writes past the allocated page. Reachability depends on tracefs inode permissions; exploitation can disclose adjacent kernel memory, corrupt it, or crash the system.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-37923
- 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=2.6.30
- Affected versionversion=3c56819b14b00dd449bd776303e61f8532fad09f <056ebbddb8faf4ddf83d005454dd78fc25c2d897
- Affected versionversion=3c56819b14b00dd449bd776303e61f8532fad09f <1a3f9482b50b74fa9421bff8ceecfefd0dc06f8f
- Affected versionversion=3c56819b14b00dd449bd776303e61f8532fad09f <1f27a3e93b8d674b24b27fcdbc6f72743cd96c0d
- Affected versionversion=3c56819b14b00dd449bd776303e61f8532fad09f <441021e5b3c7d9bd1b963590652c415929f3b157
- Affected versionversion=3c56819b14b00dd449bd776303e61f8532fad09f <665ce421041890571852422487f4c613d1824ba9
- Affected versionversion=3c56819b14b00dd449bd776303e61f8532fad09f <c5d2b66c5ef5037b4b4360e5447605ff00ba1bd4
- Affected versionversion=3c56819b14b00dd449bd776303e61f8532fad09f <f4b0174e9f18aaba59ee6ffdaf8827a7f94eb606
- Affected versionversion=3c56819b14b00dd449bd776303e61f8532fad09f <f5178c41bb43444a6008150fe6094497135d07cb
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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