CVE-2025-40278

Kernel memory disclosure via uncleared tc_ife padding

Published Dec 6, 2025 · Updated Jun 2, 2026

Information disclosure in Linux kernel act_ife allows local users to read uninitialized kernel padding bytes through netlink messages. In tcf_ife_dump(), a designated initializer leaves tc_ife padding uncleared, and nla_put() copies the entire structure into the message. A local user must reach the act_ife traffic-control dump path; the reported consequence is limited to disclosure of residual kernel memory.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Information disclosure in Linux kernel act_ife allows local users to read uninitialized kernel padding bytes through netlink messages. In tcf_ife_dump(), a designated initializer leaves tc_ife padding uncleared, and nla_put() copies the entire structure into the message. A local user must reach the act_ife traffic-control dump path; the reported consequence is limited to disclosure of residual kernel memory.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-40278
Published
Dec 6, 2025
Updated
Jun 2, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-20, T1005
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 6, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 2, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.6
  2. Affected versionversion=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <2191662058443e0bcc28d11694293d8339af6dde
  3. Affected versionversion=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <37f0680887c5aeba9a433fe04b35169010568bb1
  4. Affected versionversion=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <5e3644ef147bf7140259dfa4cace680c9b26fe8b
  5. Affected versionversion=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <918e063304f945fb93be9bb70cacea07d0b730ea
  6. Affected versionversion=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <a676a296af65d33725bdf7396803180957dbd92e
  7. Affected versionversion=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <c8f51dad94cbb88054e2aacc272b3ce1ed11fb1e
  8. Affected versionversion=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <ce50039be49eea9b4cd8873ca6eccded1b4a130a
  9. Affected versionversion=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <d1dbbbe839647486c9b893e5011fe84a052962df

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.6; version=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <2191662058443e0bcc28d11694293d8339af6dde; version=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <37f0680887c5aeba9a433fe04b35169010568bb1; version=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <5e3644ef147bf7140259dfa4cace680c9b26fe8b; version=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <918e063304f945fb93be9bb70cacea07d0b730ea; version=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <a676a296af65d33725bdf7396803180957dbd92e; version=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <c8f51dad94cbb88054e2aacc272b3ce1ed11fb1e; version=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <ce50039be49eea9b4cd8873ca6eccded1b4a130a; version=ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <d1dbbbe839647486c9b893e5011fe84a052962df
Siemens · RUGGEDCOM RST2428Pversion=0 <V4.0

Published CVSS scores

5.5Siemens ProductCERTCVSS: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 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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-20Improper Input Validation
T1005Data from Local System

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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