CVE-2025-71115

Local crash via uninitialized current task pointer

Published Jan 14, 2026 · Updated Jan 14, 2026

NULL-pointer dereference in Linux Kernel 6.13 through 6.18.2 allows local users to crash User-Mode Linux during KCOV-enabled startup. The User-Mode Linux setup leaves cpu_tasks[] uninitialized until uml_finishsetup(), so an annotated early call such as memparse() reaches check_kcov_mode() while current is NULL. The condition requires a User-Mode Linux kernel built with KCOV and interrupts that kernel instance during initialization without reported data disclosure or modification.

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

NULL-pointer dereference in Linux Kernel 6.13 through 6.18.2 allows local users to crash User-Mode Linux during KCOV-enabled startup. The User-Mode Linux setup leaves cpu_tasks[] uninitialized until uml_finishsetup(), so an annotated early call such as memparse() reaches check_kcov_mode() while current is NULL. The condition requires a User-Mode Linux kernel built with KCOV and interrupts that kernel instance during initialization without reported data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-71115
Published
Jan 14, 2026
Updated
Jan 14, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-908, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 14, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 14, 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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7b5d4416964c07c902163822a30a622111172b01
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <dbbf6d47130674640cd12a0781a0fb2a575d0e44

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7b5d4416964c07c902163822a30a622111172b01; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <dbbf6d47130674640cd12a0781a0fb2a575d0e44

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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.

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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-908Use of Uninitialized Resource
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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