CVE-2025-68173

Kernel panic via unyielding kallsyms lookups

Published Dec 16, 2025 · Updated Dec 16, 2025

Denial of service in Linux kernel ftrace allows local users to trigger a kernel panic while loading a module with many traceable functions. The ftrace_module_enable function repeatedly calls kallsyms_lookup with preemption disabled inside an RCU critical section without yielding. Local access is required, and the path must process a module with many traceable functions; a resulting soft lockup can interrupt the host.

CVSS severity6.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in Linux kernel ftrace allows local users to trigger a kernel panic while loading a module with many traceable functions. The ftrace_module_enable function repeatedly calls kallsyms_lookup with preemption disabled inside an RCU critical section without yielding. Local access is required, and the path must process a module with many traceable functions; a resulting soft lockup can interrupt the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-68173
Published
Dec 16, 2025
Updated
Dec 16, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 16, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 16, 2025Record 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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4099b98203d6b33d990586542fa5beee408032a3
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <40c8ee40e48a2c82c762539952ed8fc0571db5bf
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7e3c96010ade29bb340a5bdce8675f50c7f59001
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <a1dd0abd741a8111260676da729825d6c1461a71
  5. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e81e6d6d99b16dae11adbeda5c996317942a940c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4099b98203d6b33d990586542fa5beee408032a3; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <40c8ee40e48a2c82c762539952ed8fc0571db5bf; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7e3c96010ade29bb340a5bdce8675f50c7f59001; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <a1dd0abd741a8111260676da729825d6c1461a71; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e81e6d6d99b16dae11adbeda5c996317942a940c

Published CVSS scores

5.5Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5Oracle LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
6.8SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

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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