CVE-2025-40169

Kernel panic via negative BPF ALU offset

Published Nov 12, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Improper input validation in affected Linux kernel releases allows local users to panic the kernel through a malformed BPF ALU instruction. The check_alu_op() verifier test applies only an upper-bound comparison to a signed 16-bit offset, so negative values bypass the zero-or-one restriction for division and modulo operations. Local access plus unprivileged BPF or delegated CAP_BPF is required; x86 execution can panic the system, while s390 execution can disclose kernel register data.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper input validation in affected Linux kernel releases allows local users to panic the kernel through a malformed BPF ALU instruction. The check_alu_op() verifier test applies only an upper-bound comparison to a signed 16-bit offset, so negative values bypass the zero-or-one restriction for division and modulo operations. Local access plus unprivileged BPF or delegated CAP_BPF is required; x86 execution can panic the system, while s390 execution can disclose kernel register data.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-40169
Published
Nov 12, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 12, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=6.6
  2. Affected versionversion=ec0e2da95f72d4a46050a4d994e4fe471474fd80 <21167bf70dbe400563e189ac632258d35eda38b5
  3. Affected versionversion=ec0e2da95f72d4a46050a4d994e4fe471474fd80 <3bce44b344040e5eef3d64d38b157c15304c0aab
  4. Affected versionversion=ec0e2da95f72d4a46050a4d994e4fe471474fd80 <5017c302ca4b2a45149ad64e058fa2d5623c068f
  5. Affected versionversion=ec0e2da95f72d4a46050a4d994e4fe471474fd80 <55c0ced59fe17dee34e9dfd5f7be63cbab207758

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.6; version=ec0e2da95f72d4a46050a4d994e4fe471474fd80 <21167bf70dbe400563e189ac632258d35eda38b5; version=ec0e2da95f72d4a46050a4d994e4fe471474fd80 <3bce44b344040e5eef3d64d38b157c15304c0aab; version=ec0e2da95f72d4a46050a4d994e4fe471474fd80 <5017c302ca4b2a45149ad64e058fa2d5623c068f; version=ec0e2da95f72d4a46050a4d994e4fe471474fd80 <55c0ced59fe17dee34e9dfd5f7be63cbab207758

Published CVSS scores

7.8Linux CNACVSS: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

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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