futex: Prevent use-after-free during requeue-PI
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 3 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: futex: Prevent use-after-free during requeue-PI syzbot managed to trigger the following race: T1 T2 futex_wait_requeue_pi() futex_do_wait() schedule() futex_requeue() futex_proxy_trylock_atomic() futex_requeue_pi_prepare() requeue_pi_wake_futex() futex_requeue_pi_complete() /* preempt */ * timeout/ signal wakes T1 * futex_requeue_pi_wakeup_sync() // Q_REQUEUE_PI_LOCKED futex_hash_put() // back to userland, on stack futex_q is garbage /* back */ wake_up_state(q->task, TASK_NORMAL); In this scenario futex_wait_requeue_pi() is able to leave without using futex_q::lock_ptr for synchronization. This can be prevented by reading futex_q::task before updating the futex_q::requeue_state. A reference on the task_struct is not needed because requeue_pi_wake_futex() is invoked with a spinlock_t held which implies a RCU read section. Even if T1 terminates immediately after, the task_struct will remain valid during T2's wake_up_state(). A READ_ONCE on futex_q::task before futex_requeue_pi_complete() is enough because it ensures that the variable is read before the state is updated. Read futex_q::task before updating the requeue state, use it for the following wakeup.
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
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.155, 6.6.109, 6.12.50, 6.16.10, 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 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-39977
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-56h7-2ch6-v472
- 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Other 5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cb5d19a61274b51b49601214a87af573b43d60fa
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/348736955ed6ca6e99ca24b93b1d3fbfe352c181
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a170b9c0dde83312b8b58ccc91509c7c15711641
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d824b2dbdcfe3c390278dd9652ea526168ef6850
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b549113738e8c751b613118032a724b772aa83f2
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Sources
- CVE-2025-39977 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-39977 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-56h7-2ch6-v472 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-39977 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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