In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

kernfs: Fix UAF in polling when open file is released

A use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability was identified in the PSI (Pressure
Stall Information) monitoring mechanism:

BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in psi_trigger_poll+0x3c/0x140
Read of size 8 at addr ffff3de3d50bd308 by task systemd/1

psi_trigger_poll+0x3c/0x140
cgroup_pressure_poll+0x70/0xa0
cgroup_file_poll+0x8c/0x100
kernfs_fop_poll+0x11c/0x1c0
ep_item_poll.isra.0+0x188/0x2c0

Allocated by task 1:
cgroup_file_open+0x88/0x388
kernfs_fop_open+0x73c/0xaf0
do_dentry_open+0x5fc/0x1200
vfs_open+0xa0/0x3f0
do_open+0x7e8/0xd08
path_openat+0x2fc/0x6b0
do_filp_open+0x174/0x368

Freed by task 8462:
cgroup_file_release+0x130/0x1f8
kernfs_drain_open_files+0x17c/0x440
kernfs_drain+0x2dc/0x360
kernfs_show+0x1b8/0x288
cgroup_file_show+0x150/0x268
cgroup_pressure_write+0x1dc/0x340
cgroup_file_write+0x274/0x548

Reproduction Steps:
1. Open test/cpu.pressure and establish epoll monitoring
2. Disable monitoring: echo 0 > test/cgroup.pressure
3. Re-enable monitoring: echo 1 > test/cgroup.pressure

The race condition occurs because:
1. When cgroup.pressure is disabled (echo 0 > cgroup.pressure), it:
- Releases PSI triggers via cgroup_file_release()
- Frees of->priv through kernfs_drain_open_files()
2. While epoll still holds reference to the file and continues polling
3. Re-enabling (echo 1 > cgroup.pressure) accesses freed of->priv

epolling disable/enable cgroup.pressure
fd=open(cpu.pressure)
while(1)
...
epoll_wait
kernfs_fop_poll
kernfs_get_active = true echo 0 > cgroup.pressure
... cgroup_file_show
kernfs_show
// inactive kn
kernfs_drain_open_files
cft->release(of);
kfree(ctx);
...
kernfs_get_active = false
echo 1 > cgroup.pressure
kernfs_show
kernfs_activate_one(kn);
kernfs_fop_poll
kernfs_get_active = true
cgroup_file_poll
psi_trigger_poll
// UAF
...
end: close(fd)

To address this issue, introduce kernfs_get_active_of() for kernfs open
files to obtain active references. This function will fail if the open file
has been released. Replace kernfs_get_active() with kernfs_get_active_of()
to prevent further operations on released file descriptors.

Metrics

No CVSS v4.0

No CVSS v3.1

No CVSS v3.0

No CVSS v2

This CVE is not in the KEV list.

The EPSS score is 0.00018.

Key SSVC decision points have not yet been added.

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendors Products
Linux
  • Linux Kernel

No data.

No data.

OpenCVE Enrichment is a feature of OpenCVE that uses AI to automatically link vendors and products to CVEs. Learn more on GitHub.

Vendors Products
Linux
  • Linux Kernel
Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.

Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

References
Link Providers
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/34d9cafd469c69ad85e6a36b4303c78382cf5c79 cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c9ba2777d6c86025e1ba4186dc5cd930e40ec5f cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7e64474aba78d240f7804f48f2d454dcca78b15f cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/854baafc00c433cccbe0ab4231b77aeb9b637b77 cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ac5cda4fae8818cf1963317bb699f7f2f85b60af cve-icon cve-icon
History

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 16:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 06:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kernfs: Fix UAF in polling when open file is released A use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability was identified in the PSI (Pressure Stall Information) monitoring mechanism: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in psi_trigger_poll+0x3c/0x140 Read of size 8 at addr ffff3de3d50bd308 by task systemd/1 psi_trigger_poll+0x3c/0x140 cgroup_pressure_poll+0x70/0xa0 cgroup_file_poll+0x8c/0x100 kernfs_fop_poll+0x11c/0x1c0 ep_item_poll.isra.0+0x188/0x2c0 Allocated by task 1: cgroup_file_open+0x88/0x388 kernfs_fop_open+0x73c/0xaf0 do_dentry_open+0x5fc/0x1200 vfs_open+0xa0/0x3f0 do_open+0x7e8/0xd08 path_openat+0x2fc/0x6b0 do_filp_open+0x174/0x368 Freed by task 8462: cgroup_file_release+0x130/0x1f8 kernfs_drain_open_files+0x17c/0x440 kernfs_drain+0x2dc/0x360 kernfs_show+0x1b8/0x288 cgroup_file_show+0x150/0x268 cgroup_pressure_write+0x1dc/0x340 cgroup_file_write+0x274/0x548 Reproduction Steps: 1. Open test/cpu.pressure and establish epoll monitoring 2. Disable monitoring: echo 0 > test/cgroup.pressure 3. Re-enable monitoring: echo 1 > test/cgroup.pressure The race condition occurs because: 1. When cgroup.pressure is disabled (echo 0 > cgroup.pressure), it: - Releases PSI triggers via cgroup_file_release() - Frees of->priv through kernfs_drain_open_files() 2. While epoll still holds reference to the file and continues polling 3. Re-enabling (echo 1 > cgroup.pressure) accesses freed of->priv epolling disable/enable cgroup.pressure fd=open(cpu.pressure) while(1) ... epoll_wait kernfs_fop_poll kernfs_get_active = true echo 0 > cgroup.pressure ... cgroup_file_show kernfs_show // inactive kn kernfs_drain_open_files cft->release(of); kfree(ctx); ... kernfs_get_active = false echo 1 > cgroup.pressure kernfs_show kernfs_activate_one(kn); kernfs_fop_poll kernfs_get_active = true cgroup_file_poll psi_trigger_poll // UAF ... end: close(fd) To address this issue, introduce kernfs_get_active_of() for kernfs open files to obtain active references. This function will fail if the open file has been released. Replace kernfs_get_active() with kernfs_get_active_of() to prevent further operations on released file descriptors.
Title kernfs: Fix UAF in polling when open file is released
References
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2025-09-23T06:00:50.496Z

Reserved: 2025-04-16T07:20:57.144Z

Link: CVE-2025-39881

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2025-09-23T06:15:47.793

Modified: 2025-09-23T06:15:47.793

Link: CVE-2025-39881

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2025-09-23T16:03:18Z