CVE-2025-40042

Kernel crash via kprobe initialization race

Published Oct 28, 2025 · Updated Oct 28, 2025

Race condition in the Linux tracing subsystem allows local users to crash the kernel by activating a profiling kprobe. During perf_kprobe_init, perf_trace_event_init enables the kprobe before other CPUs are guaranteed to observe the perf_events pointer, so kprobe_perf_func dereferences NULL. Local low-privileged access that can configure and trigger profiling kprobes is required; successful triggering causes a kernel crash and host service interruption.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Race condition in the Linux tracing subsystem allows local users to crash the kernel by activating a profiling kprobe. During perf_kprobe_init, perf_trace_event_init enables the kprobe before other CPUs are guaranteed to observe the perf_events pointer, so kprobe_perf_func dereferences NULL. Local low-privileged access that can configure and trigger profiling kprobes is required; successful triggering causes a kernel crash and host service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-40042
Published
Oct 28, 2025
Updated
Oct 28, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 28, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 28, 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=2.6.33
  2. Affected versionversion=50d780560785b068c358675c5f0bf6c83b5c373e <0fa388ab2c290ef1115ff88ae88e881d0fb2db02
  3. Affected versionversion=50d780560785b068c358675c5f0bf6c83b5c373e <1a301228c0a8aedc3154fb1a274456f487416b96
  4. Affected versionversion=50d780560785b068c358675c5f0bf6c83b5c373e <5ebea6561649d30ec7a18fea23d7f76738dae916
  5. Affected versionversion=50d780560785b068c358675c5f0bf6c83b5c373e <95dd33361061f808d1f68616d69ada639e737cfa
  6. Affected versionversion=50d780560785b068c358675c5f0bf6c83b5c373e <9cf9aa7b0acfde7545c1a1d912576e9bab28dc6f
  7. Affected versionversion=50d780560785b068c358675c5f0bf6c83b5c373e <a6e89ada1ff6b70df73f579071ffa6ade8ae7f98

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.33; version=50d780560785b068c358675c5f0bf6c83b5c373e <0fa388ab2c290ef1115ff88ae88e881d0fb2db02; version=50d780560785b068c358675c5f0bf6c83b5c373e <1a301228c0a8aedc3154fb1a274456f487416b96; version=50d780560785b068c358675c5f0bf6c83b5c373e <5ebea6561649d30ec7a18fea23d7f76738dae916; version=50d780560785b068c358675c5f0bf6c83b5c373e <95dd33361061f808d1f68616d69ada639e737cfa; version=50d780560785b068c358675c5f0bf6c83b5c373e <9cf9aa7b0acfde7545c1a1d912576e9bab28dc6f; version=50d780560785b068c358675c5f0bf6c83b5c373e <a6e89ada1ff6b70df73f579071ffa6ade8ae7f98

Published CVSS scores

5.5Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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