page_pool: avoid infinite loop to schedule delayed worker
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 4 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-835.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: page_pool: avoid infinite loop to schedule delayed worker We noticed the kworker in page_pool_release_retry() was waken up repeatedly and infinitely in production because of the buggy driver causing the inflight less than 0 and warning us in page_pool_inflight()[1]. Since the inflight value goes negative, it means we should not expect the whole page_pool to get back to work normally. This patch mitigates the adverse effect by not rescheduling the kworker when detecting the inflight negative in page_pool_release_retry(). [1] [Mon Feb 10 20:36:11 2025] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [Mon Feb 10 20:36:11 2025] Negative(-51446) inflight packet-pages ... [Mon Feb 10 20:36:11 2025] Call Trace: [Mon Feb 10 20:36:11 2025] page_pool_release_retry+0x23/0x70 [Mon Feb 10 20:36:11 2025] process_one_work+0x1b1/0x370 [Mon Feb 10 20:36:11 2025] worker_thread+0x37/0x3a0 [Mon Feb 10 20:36:11 2025] kthread+0x11a/0x140 [Mon Feb 10 20:36:11 2025] ? process_one_work+0x370/0x370 [Mon Feb 10 20:36:11 2025] ? __kthread_cancel_work+0x40/0x40 [Mon Feb 10 20:36:11 2025] ret_from_fork+0x35/0x40 [Mon Feb 10 20:36:11 2025] ---[ end trace ebffe800f33e7e34 ]--- Note: before this patch, the above calltrace would flood the dmesg due to repeated reschedule of release_dw kworker.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 5.4.5 to before 5.4.293; 5.3.18 to before 5.4 | 5.4.293, 5.4 | Patch available | CNA |
| Linux | Linux | 5.5 and later | 5.4.293, 5.10.237, 5.15.181, 6.1.135, 6.6.88, 6.12.24, 6.13.12, 6.14.3, 6.15 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.4.5 to before 5.4.293; 5.3.18 to before 5.4 Fixed in 5.4.293, 5.4 Patch available CNA
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.5 and later Fixed in 5.4.293, 5.10.237, 5.15.181, 6.1.135, 6.6.88, 6.12.24, 6.13.12, 6.14.3, 6.15 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 2
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.3.18 to before 5.4; 5.4.5 to before 5.4.293; 5.5 to before 5.10.237; 5.11 to before 5.15.181; 5.16 to before 6.1.135; 6.2 to before 6.6.88; 6.7 to before 6.12.24; 6.13 to before 6.13.12; 6.14 to before 6.14.3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 11.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.3.18 to before 5.4; 5.4.5 to before 5.4.293; 5.5 to before 5.10.237; 5.11 to before 5.15.181; 5.16 to before 6.1.135; 6.2 to before 6.6.88; 6.7 to before 6.12.24; 6.13 to before 6.13.12; 6.14 to before 6.14.3 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 11.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.4.293, 5.4
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.4.293, 5.10.237, 5.15.181, 6.1.135, 6.6.88, 6.12.24, 6.13.12, 6.14.3, 6.15
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-37859
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-74cg-cw39-rj4g
- 2026-11-05 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Patch 9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c3c7c57017ce1d4b2d3788c1fc59e7e39026e158
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9f71db4fb82deb889e0bac4a51b34daea7d506a3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/91522aba56e9fcdf64da25ffef9b27f8fad48e0f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/90e089a64504982f8d62f223027cb9f903781f78
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/95f17738b86fd198924d874a5639bcdc49c7e5b8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7204335d1991c23fc615ab76f31f175748a578e1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e74e5aa33228c5e2cb4fc80ad103541a7b7805ec
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/738d1812ec2e395e953258aea912ddd867d11a13
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/43130d02baa137033c25297aaae95fd0edc41654
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- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2025-37859 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-37859 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-74cg-cw39-rj4g · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-37859 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences