CVE-2025-68366

Kernel disruption via NBD configuration race

Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel NBD subsystem allows local users to disrupt kernel availability through a configuration race. In nbd_genl_connect, the configuration mutex is released before NBD_RT_HAS_CONFIG_REF is set and config_refs is incremented, allowing concurrent NBD_CLEAR_SOCK and close operations to drop the reference count to zero first. Reaching the race requires CAP_SYS_ADMIN and concurrent connection, socket-clearing, and device-close operations; the published reproducer reports a refcount use-after-free warning rather than data disclosure or modification.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel NBD subsystem allows local users to disrupt kernel availability through a configuration race. In nbd_genl_connect, the configuration mutex is released before NBD_RT_HAS_CONFIG_REF is set and config_refs is incremented, allowing concurrent NBD_CLEAR_SOCK and close operations to drop the reference count to zero first. Reaching the race requires CAP_SYS_ADMIN and concurrent connection, socket-clearing, and device-close operations; the published reproducer reports a refcount use-after-free warning rather than data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-68366
Published
Dec 24, 2025
Updated
Dec 24, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 24, 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=4.12
  2. Affected versionversion=e46c7287b1c27683a8e30ca825fb98e2b97f1099 <1649714b930f9ea6233ce0810ba885999da3b5d4
  3. Affected versionversion=e46c7287b1c27683a8e30ca825fb98e2b97f1099 <9a38306643874566d20f7aba7dff9e6f657b51a9
  4. Affected versionversion=e46c7287b1c27683a8e30ca825fb98e2b97f1099 <c9b99c948b4fb014812afe7b5ccf2db121d22e46
  5. Affected versionversion=e46c7287b1c27683a8e30ca825fb98e2b97f1099 <c9e805f6a35d1dd189a9345595a5c20e87611942

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.12; version=e46c7287b1c27683a8e30ca825fb98e2b97f1099 <1649714b930f9ea6233ce0810ba885999da3b5d4; version=e46c7287b1c27683a8e30ca825fb98e2b97f1099 <9a38306643874566d20f7aba7dff9e6f657b51a9; version=e46c7287b1c27683a8e30ca825fb98e2b97f1099 <c9b99c948b4fb014812afe7b5ccf2db121d22e46; version=e46c7287b1c27683a8e30ca825fb98e2b97f1099 <c9e805f6a35d1dd189a9345595a5c20e87611942

Published CVSS scores

5.5SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5Amazon LinuxCVSS: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

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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

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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