octeontx2-pf: Fix use-after-free bugs in otx2_sync_tstamp()
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 2 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-416 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: octeontx2-pf: Fix use-after-free bugs in otx2_sync_tstamp() The original code relies on cancel_delayed_work() in otx2_ptp_destroy(), which does not ensure that the delayed work item synctstamp_work has fully completed if it was already running. This leads to use-after-free scenarios where otx2_ptp is deallocated by otx2_ptp_destroy(), while synctstamp_work remains active and attempts to dereference otx2_ptp in otx2_sync_tstamp(). Furthermore, the synctstamp_work is cyclic, the likelihood of triggering the bug is nonnegligible. A typical race condition is illustrated below: CPU 0 (cleanup) | CPU 1 (delayed work callback) otx2_remove() | otx2_ptp_destroy() | otx2_sync_tstamp() cancel_delayed_work() | kfree(ptp) | | ptp = container_of(...); //UAF | ptp-> //UAF This is confirmed by a KASAN report: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __run_timer_base.part.0+0x7d7/0x8c0 Write of size 8 at addr ffff88800aa09a18 by task bash/136 ... Call Trace: <IRQ> dump_stack_lvl+0x55/0x70 print_report+0xcf/0x610 ? __run_timer_base.part.0+0x7d7/0x8c0 kasan_report+0xb8/0xf0 ? __run_timer_base.part.0+0x7d7/0x8c0 __run_timer_base.part.0+0x7d7/0x8c0 ? __pfx___run_timer_base.part.0+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_read_tsc+0x10/0x10 ? ktime_get+0x60/0x140 ? lapic_next_event+0x11/0x20 ? clockevents_program_event+0x1d4/0x2a0 run_timer_softirq+0xd1/0x190 handle_softirqs+0x16a/0x550 irq_exit_rcu+0xaf/0xe0 sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0x70/0x80 </IRQ> ... Allocated by task 1: kasan_save_stack+0x24/0x50 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 __kasan_kmalloc+0x7f/0x90 otx2_ptp_init+0xb1/0x860 otx2_probe+0x4eb/0xc30 local_pci_probe+0xdc/0x190 pci_device_probe+0x2fe/0x470 really_probe+0x1ca/0x5c0 __driver_probe_device+0x248/0x310 driver_probe_device+0x44/0x120 __driver_attach+0xd2/0x310 bus_for_each_dev+0xed/0x170 bus_add_driver+0x208/0x500 driver_register+0x132/0x460 do_one_initcall+0x89/0x300 kernel_init_freeable+0x40d/0x720 kernel_init+0x1a/0x150 ret_from_fork+0x10c/0x1a0 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 Freed by task 136: kasan_save_stack+0x24/0x50 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 kasan_save_free_info+0x3a/0x60 __kasan_slab_free+0x3f/0x50 kfree+0x137/0x370 otx2_ptp_destroy+0x38/0x80 otx2_remove+0x10d/0x4c0 pci_device_remove+0xa6/0x1d0 device_release_driver_internal+0xf8/0x210 pci_stop_bus_device+0x105/0x150 pci_stop_and_remove_bus_device_locked+0x15/0x30 remove_store+0xcc/0xe0 kernfs_fop_write_iter+0x2c3/0x440 vfs_write+0x871/0xd70 ksys_write+0xee/0x1c0 do_syscall_64+0xac/0x280 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f ... Replace cancel_delayed_work() with cancel_delayed_work_sync() to ensure that the delayed work item is properly canceled before the otx2_ptp is deallocated. This bug was initially identified through static analysis. To reproduce and test it, I simulated the OcteonTX2 PCI device in QEMU and introduced artificial delays within the otx2_sync_tstamp() function to increase the likelihood of triggering the bug.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
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 | 6.1 and later | 6.1.154, 6.6.108, 6.12.49, 6.16.9, 6.17 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 6.1 and later Fixed in 6.1.154, 6.6.108, 6.12.49, 6.16.9, 6.17 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 7
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.1 to before 6.1.154; 6.2 to before 6.6.108; 6.7 to before 6.12.49; 6.13 to before 6.16.9 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.17 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.17 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.17 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.17 rc4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.17 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.17 rc6 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1 to before 6.1.154; 6.2 to before 6.6.108; 6.7 to before 6.12.49; 6.13 to before 6.16.9 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.17 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.17 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.17 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.17 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.17 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.17 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.154, 6.6.108, 6.12.49, 6.16.9, 6.17
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 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-39944
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-63mr-vmpc-c5r9
- 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Patch 5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2786879aebf363806a13d41e8d5f99202ddd23d9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2cfefa14ce8137b17f99683f968bebf134b6a48
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ff27e23b311fed4d25e3852e27ba693416d4c7b3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5ca20bb7b4bde72110c3ae78423cbfdd0157aa36
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f8b4687151021db61841af983f1cb7be6915d4ef
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
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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-2025-39944 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-39944 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-63mr-vmpc-c5r9 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-39944 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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