CVE-2025-68214

Local service interruption via timer callback race

Published Dec 16, 2025 · Updated Dec 16, 2025

A timer race in the Linux kernel allows local users to interrupt service by leaving a pending timer with a NULL callback. timer_shutdown_sync() clears timer->function while expiration is still running on another CPU, allowing mod_timer() to leave the timer pending. A low-privileged local user must reach the concurrent timer operations; a later expiration hits the WARN_ON_ONCE check in expire_timers().

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.13%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A timer race in the Linux kernel allows local users to interrupt service by leaving a pending timer with a NULL callback. timer_shutdown_sync() clears timer->function while expiration is still running on another CPU, allowing mod_timer() to leave the timer pending. A low-privileged local user must reach the concurrent timer operations; a later expiration hits the WARN_ON_ONCE check in expire_timers().

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-68214
Published
Dec 16, 2025
Updated
Dec 16, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
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

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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=0cc04e80458a822300b93f82ed861a513edde194 <176725f4848376530a0f0da9023f956afcc33585
  2. Affected versionversion=0cc04e80458a822300b93f82ed861a513edde194 <20739af07383e6eb1ec59dcd70b72ebfa9ac362c
  3. Affected versionversion=0cc04e80458a822300b93f82ed861a513edde194 <6665fbd7730b26d770c232b20d1b907e6a67a914
  4. Affected versionversion=0cc04e80458a822300b93f82ed861a513edde194 <a01efa7a780c42ac5170a949bd95c9786ffcc60a
  5. Affected versionversion=334c33aa487be406a149c8b87c38c8399d2dba8d <1a975716cc8977f461e45e28e3e5977d46ad7a6a
  6. Affected versionversion=6.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=0cc04e80458a822300b93f82ed861a513edde194 <176725f4848376530a0f0da9023f956afcc33585; version=0cc04e80458a822300b93f82ed861a513edde194 <20739af07383e6eb1ec59dcd70b72ebfa9ac362c; version=0cc04e80458a822300b93f82ed861a513edde194 <6665fbd7730b26d770c232b20d1b907e6a67a914; version=0cc04e80458a822300b93f82ed861a513edde194 <a01efa7a780c42ac5170a949bd95c9786ffcc60a; version=334c33aa487be406a149c8b87c38c8399d2dba8d <1a975716cc8977f461e45e28e3e5977d46ad7a6a; version=6.2

Published CVSS scores

5.5OracleCVSS: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 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

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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