Kernel crash via MPTCP address-timer race
Published Dec 4, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in the MPTCP path manager in Linux 5.10 and later and SINEC OS before V4.0 allows local users to crash the kernel. mptcp_pm_del_add_timer() can call sk_stop_timer_sync() on an address entry that another worker has already freed because the timer path lacks RCU protection. The race requires local low-privileged access and MPTCP activity; the published impact is a kernel crash without confidentiality or integrity loss.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the MPTCP path manager in Linux 5.10 and later and SINEC OS before V4.0 allows local users to crash the kernel. mptcp_pm_del_add_timer() can call sk_stop_timer_sync() on an address entry that another worker has already freed because the timer path lacks RCU protection. The race requires local low-privileged access and MPTCP activity; the published impact is a kernel crash without confidentiality or integrity loss.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-40257
- Published
- Dec 4, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-20, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 4, 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=00cfd77b9063dcdf3628a7087faba60de85a9cc8 <385ddc0f008f24d1e7d03be998b3a98a37bd29ff
- Affected versionversion=00cfd77b9063dcdf3628a7087faba60de85a9cc8 <426358d9be7ce3518966422f87b96f1bad27295f
- Affected versionversion=00cfd77b9063dcdf3628a7087faba60de85a9cc8 <6d3275d4ca62e2c02e1b7e8cd32db59df91c14b7
- Affected versionversion=00cfd77b9063dcdf3628a7087faba60de85a9cc8 <9be29f8e7ce4e147e56caac2c3a0ce3573cf9c17
- Affected versionversion=00cfd77b9063dcdf3628a7087faba60de85a9cc8 <bbbd75346c8e6490b19c2ba90f38ea66ccf352b2
- Affected versionversion=00cfd77b9063dcdf3628a7087faba60de85a9cc8 <c602cc344b4b8d41515fec3ffa98457ac963ee12
- Affected versionversion=00cfd77b9063dcdf3628a7087faba60de85a9cc8 <e2d1ad207174a7cd7903dd27a00db4b2dfa6c64b
- Affected versionversion=5.10
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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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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