Kernel crash via unsynchronized BPF ring-buffer IRQ work
Published Dec 8, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel BPF ring buffer allows local users to crash the kernel by racing deferred IRQ work. The bpf_ringbuf_free path unmaps and releases the buffer without synchronizing irq_work queued by bpf_ringbuf_commit, so the IRQ worker reads freed memory. Triggering the race requires local low-privileged access and a BPF program attached to sched_switch; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel BPF ring buffer allows local users to crash the kernel by racing deferred IRQ work. The bpf_ringbuf_free path unmaps and releases the buffer without synchronizing irq_work queued by bpf_ringbuf_commit, so the IRQ worker reads freed memory. Triggering the race requires local low-privileged access and a BPF program attached to sched_switch; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-40319
- Published
- Dec 8, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 8, 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=457f44363a8894135c85b7a9afd2bd8196db24ab <10ca3b2eec384628bc9f5d8190aed9427ad2dde6
- Affected versionversion=457f44363a8894135c85b7a9afd2bd8196db24ab <430e15544f11f8de26b2b5109c7152f71b78295e
- Affected versionversion=457f44363a8894135c85b7a9afd2bd8196db24ab <47626748a2a00068dbbd5836d19076637b4e235b
- Affected versionversion=457f44363a8894135c85b7a9afd2bd8196db24ab <4e9077638301816a7d73fa1e1b4c1db4a7e3b59c
- Affected versionversion=457f44363a8894135c85b7a9afd2bd8196db24ab <6451141103547f4efd774e912418a3b4318046c6
- Affected versionversion=457f44363a8894135c85b7a9afd2bd8196db24ab <de2ce6b14bc3e565708a39bdba3ef9162aeffc72
- Affected versionversion=457f44363a8894135c85b7a9afd2bd8196db24ab <e1828c7a8d8135e21ff6adaaa9458c32aae13b11
- Affected versionversion=5.8
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Syzkaller C reproducer for the BPF ring-buffer IRQ raceproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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