CVE-2025-68185

Kernel crash via unlocked NFS dentry dereference

Published Dec 16, 2025 · Updated Dec 16, 2025

Race condition in the Linux kernel NFSv4 client allows attackers to crash the kernel via concurrent directory operations. nfs4_setup_readdir() reads d_parent->d_inode while another operation can move the dentry, and xdr_encode_hyper() dereferences that inode outside d_lock. Triggering the oops requires winning a narrow race during NFSv4 readdir processing; the kernel maintainer states that real hardware is unlikely to hit it and KVM may make it more feasible.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Race condition in the Linux kernel NFSv4 client allows attackers to crash the kernel via concurrent directory operations. nfs4_setup_readdir() reads d_parent->d_inode while another operation can move the dentry, and xdr_encode_hyper() dereferences that inode outside d_lock. Triggering the oops requires winning a narrow race during NFSv4 readdir processing; the kernel maintainer states that real hardware is unlikely to hit it and KVM may make it more feasible.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-68185
Published
Dec 16, 2025
Updated
Dec 16, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
Unavailable
Privileges
Unavailable

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

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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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <40be5b9080114f18b0cea386db415b68a7273c1a
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <504b3fb9948a9e96ebbabdee0d33966a8bab15cb
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6025f641a0e30afdc5aa62017397b1860ad9f677
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <a890a2e339b929dbd843328f9a92a1625404fe63
  5. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e6cafe71eb3b5579b245ba1bd528a181e77f3df1
  6. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <eacfd08b26a062f1095b18719715bc82ad35312e
  7. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <f5e570eaab36a110c6ffda32b87c51170990c2d1
  8. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <fa4daf7d11e45b72aad5d943a7ab991f869fff79

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorUnavailable in this record.
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <40be5b9080114f18b0cea386db415b68a7273c1a; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <504b3fb9948a9e96ebbabdee0d33966a8bab15cb; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6025f641a0e30afdc5aa62017397b1860ad9f677; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <a890a2e339b929dbd843328f9a92a1625404fe63; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e6cafe71eb3b5579b245ba1bd528a181e77f3df1; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <eacfd08b26a062f1095b18719715bc82ad35312e; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <f5e570eaab36a110c6ffda32b87c51170990c2d1; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <fa4daf7d11e45b72aad5d943a7ab991f869fff79

Published CVSS scores

No CVSS assessment is available in this record.

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
VectorUnavailable
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

No sourced classifications are available.

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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