CVE-2025-68790

Kernel panic via duplicate HCA_PORTS unregister

Published Jan 13, 2026 · Updated Jan 13, 2026

Use-after-free in Linux Kernel 6.18 before 6.18.3 allows local users to crash the kernel during mlx5 PCI error recovery. LAG teardown unregisters HCA_PORTS but leaves hca_devcom_comp pointing to freed state, so a second mlx5_unload_one() pass unregisters it again. The demonstrated path requires s390 PCI recovery, where poll_health() and mlx5_pci_err_detected() can both run teardown; the bounded outcome is a kernel panic.

CVSS severity5.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.18%
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 Linux Kernel 6.18 before 6.18.3 allows local users to crash the kernel during mlx5 PCI error recovery. LAG teardown unregisters HCA_PORTS but leaves hca_devcom_comp pointing to freed state, so a second mlx5_unload_one() pass unregisters it again. The demonstrated path requires s390 PCI recovery, where poll_health() and mlx5_pci_err_detected() can both run teardown; the bounded outcome is a kernel panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-68790
Published
Jan 13, 2026
Updated
Jan 13, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 13, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 13, 2026Record 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=5a977b5833b7a261bfa6094595ffa73c1071588c <6a107cfe9c99a079e578a4c5eb70038101a3599f
  2. Affected versionversion=5a977b5833b7a261bfa6094595ffa73c1071588c <d2495f529d60e8e8c43e6ad524089c38b8be7bc4
  3. Affected versionversion=6.18

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=5a977b5833b7a261bfa6094595ffa73c1071588c <6a107cfe9c99a079e578a4c5eb70038101a3599f; version=5a977b5833b7a261bfa6094595ffa73c1071588c <d2495f529d60e8e8c43e6ad524089c38b8be7bc4; version=6.18

Published CVSS scores

6.3SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
5.8SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
7.0Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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