cnic: Fix use-after-free bugs in cnic_delete_task
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: 4 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: cnic: Fix use-after-free bugs in cnic_delete_task The original code uses cancel_delayed_work() in cnic_cm_stop_bnx2x_hw(), which does not guarantee that the delayed work item 'delete_task' has fully completed if it was already running. Additionally, the delayed work item is cyclic, the flush_workqueue() in cnic_cm_stop_bnx2x_hw() only blocks and waits for work items that were already queued to the workqueue prior to its invocation. Any work items submitted after flush_workqueue() is called are not included in the set of tasks that the flush operation awaits. This means that after the cyclic work items have finished executing, a delayed work item may still exist in the workqueue. This leads to use-after-free scenarios where the cnic_dev is deallocated by cnic_free_dev(), while delete_task remains active and attempt to dereference cnic_dev in cnic_delete_task(). A typical race condition is illustrated below: CPU 0 (cleanup) | CPU 1 (delayed work callback) cnic_netdev_event() | cnic_stop_hw() | cnic_delete_task() cnic_cm_stop_bnx2x_hw() | ... cancel_delayed_work() | /* the queue_delayed_work() flush_workqueue() | executes after flush_workqueue()*/ | queue_delayed_work() cnic_free_dev(dev)//free | cnic_delete_task() //new instance | dev = cp->dev; //use Replace cancel_delayed_work() with cancel_delayed_work_sync() to ensure that the cyclic delayed work item is properly canceled and that any ongoing execution of the work item completes before the cnic_dev is deallocated. Furthermore, since cancel_delayed_work_sync() uses __flush_work(work, true) to synchronously wait for any currently executing instance of the work item to finish, the flush_workqueue() becomes redundant and should be removed. This bug was identified through static analysis. To reproduce the issue and validate the fix, I simulated the cnic PCI device in QEMU and introduced intentional delays — such as inserting calls to ssleep() within the cnic_delete_task() 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 | 2.6.37 and later | 5.4.300, 5.10.245, 5.15.194, 6.1.154, 6.6.108, 6.12.49, 6.16.9, 6.17 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.37 and later Fixed in 5.4.300, 5.10.245, 5.15.194, 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:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.37 to before 5.4.300; 5.5 to before 5.10.245; 5.11 to before 5.15.194; 5.16 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 2.6.37 to before 5.4.300; 5.5 to before 5.10.245; 5.11 to before 5.15.194; 5.16 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 5.4.300, 5.10.245, 5.15.194, 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 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| 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-2025-39945
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-g7c3-fwjq-9g8f
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fde6e73189f40ebcf0633aed2b68e731c25f3aa3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7b6a5b0a6b392263c3767fc945b311ea04b34bbd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0405055930264ea8fd26f4131466fa7652e5e47d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e1fcd4a9c09feac0902a65615e866dbf22616125
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8eeb2091e72d75df8ceaa2172638d61b4cf8929a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e33a7eed587062ca8161ad1f4584882a860d697
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0627e1481676669cae2df0d85b5ff13e7d24c390
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cfa7d9b1e3a8604afc84e9e51d789c29574fb216
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Sources
- CVE-2025-39945 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-39945 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-g7c3-fwjq-9g8f · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-39945 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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