Local system crash via unprotected md thread pointer
Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025
Use-after-free in affected Linux kernel releases allows local users to crash the system through a stale md thread pointer. md_wakeup_thread receives mddev->thread before rcu_read_lock(), so the pointer can be freed before RCU begins protecting the dereference. Low-privileged local access is required; the documented consequence is loss of availability through a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in affected Linux kernel releases allows local users to crash the system through a stale md thread pointer. md_wakeup_thread receives mddev->thread before rcu_read_lock(), so the pointer can be freed before RCU begins protecting the dereference. Low-privileged local access is required; the documented consequence is loss of availability through a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-68374
- Published
- Dec 24, 2025
- Updated
- Dec 24, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=4469315439827290923fce4f3f672599cabeb366 <0dc76205549b4c25705e54345f211b9f66e018a0
- Affected versionversion=4469315439827290923fce4f3f672599cabeb366 <21989cb5034c835b212385a2afadf279d8069da0
- Affected versionversion=4469315439827290923fce4f3f672599cabeb366 <a4bd1caf591faeae44cb10b6517e7dacb5139bda
- Affected versionversion=4469315439827290923fce4f3f672599cabeb366 <f98b191f78124405294481dea85f8a22a3eb0a59
- Affected versionversion=6.5
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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