CVE-2025-40182Public exploit

Local privilege escalation via undersized skcipher requests

Published Nov 12, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Memory corruption in the Linux kernel skcipher framework in 6.16 through 6.17.3 allows local users to compromise or crash the kernel. crypto_skcipher_init_tfm() fails to transfer cra_reqsize into the framework request size, so algorithms receive an undersized context and write beyond it. An unprivileged local user can reach the deterministic write through AF_ALG cipher requests or affected encrypted-file I/O, enabling kernel-memory corruption, privilege escalation, or a panic.

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

Memory corruption in the Linux kernel skcipher framework in 6.16 through 6.17.3 allows local users to compromise or crash the kernel. crypto_skcipher_init_tfm() fails to transfer cra_reqsize into the framework request size, so algorithms receive an undersized context and write beyond it. An unprivileged local user can reach the deterministic write through AF_ALG cipher requests or affected encrypted-file I/O, enabling kernel-memory corruption, privilege escalation, or a panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-40182
Published
Nov 12, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1068
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=6.16
  2. Affected versionversion=afddce13ce81d52a13898fa0700917835c71acd6 <229c586b5e86979badb7cb0d38717b88a9e95ddd
  3. Affected versionversion=afddce13ce81d52a13898fa0700917835c71acd6 <f041339d6b9a5a46437f0c48fc7279c92af7a513

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.16; version=afddce13ce81d52a13898fa0700917835c71acd6 <229c586b5e86979badb7cb0d38717b88a9e95ddd; version=afddce13ce81d52a13898fa0700917835c71acd6 <f041339d6b9a5a46437f0c48fc7279c92af7a513

Published CVSS scores

7.8LinuxCVSS: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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

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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