CVE-2025-39963

Local privilege escalation via notification context confusion

Published Oct 9, 2025 · Updated Oct 9, 2025

Local privilege escalation in the io_uring notification path in Linux allows local users to read and write arbitrary kernel memory. The io_link_skb function derives prev_notif from the current nd request rather than prev_nd, so its context check compares the current notification with itself and permits cross-ring completion-list corruption. An unprivileged local process can reach the path when io_uring is enabled by issuing consecutive zerocopy sends on a shared socket; exploitation grants root-level control or interrupts service through a kernel hang or panic.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Local privilege escalation in the io_uring notification path in Linux allows local users to read and write arbitrary kernel memory. The io_link_skb function derives prev_notif from the current nd request rather than prev_nd, so its context check compares the current notification with itself and permits cross-ring completion-list corruption. An unprivileged local process can reach the path when io_uring is enabled by issuing consecutive zerocopy sends on a shared socket; exploitation grants root-level control or interrupts service through a kernel hang or panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-39963
Published
Oct 9, 2025
Updated
Oct 9, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 9, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 9, 2025Record 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=6.10
  2. Affected versionversion=6fe4220912d19152a26ce19713ab232f4263018d <2c139a47eff8de24e3350dadb4c9d5e3426db826
  3. Affected versionversion=6fe4220912d19152a26ce19713ab232f4263018d <50a98ce1ea694f1ff8e87bc2f8f84096d1736f6a
  4. Affected versionversion=6fe4220912d19152a26ce19713ab232f4263018d <a89c34babc2e5834aa0905278f26f4dbe4b26b76

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.10; version=6fe4220912d19152a26ce19713ab232f4263018d <2c139a47eff8de24e3350dadb4c9d5e3426db826; version=6fe4220912d19152a26ce19713ab232f4263018d <50a98ce1ea694f1ff8e87bc2f8f84096d1736f6a; version=6fe4220912d19152a26ce19713ab232f4263018d <a89c34babc2e5834aa0905278f26f4dbe4b26b76

Published CVSS scores

7.8LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.0SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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