CVE-2025-38012 (GCVE-0-2025-38012)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-06-18 09:28 – Updated: 2026-08-05 11:58
VLAI
Title
sched_ext: bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new() should always initialize iterator
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sched_ext: bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new() should always initialize iterator BPF programs may call next() and destroy() on BPF iterators even after new() returns an error value (e.g. bpf_for_each() macro ignores error returns from new()). bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new() could leave the iterator in an uninitialized state after an error return causing bpf_iter_scx_dsq_next() to dereference garbage data. Make bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new() always clear $kit->dsq so that next() and destroy() become noops.
Severity
7.8 (High)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Assigner
Linux CNA under the mitre root
CNA scorecard D 53/100 over 6641 records in the last 180 days details
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
Linux Linux Affected: 650ba21b131ed1f8ee57826b2c6295a3be221132 , < 0102989af4c334d1d98b2a0fd4d61a5152e39b72 (git)
Affected: 650ba21b131ed1f8ee57826b2c6295a3be221132 , < 255dd31bfc4a67a19b1fc2cd130a50284dadfe3a (git)
Affected: 650ba21b131ed1f8ee57826b2c6295a3be221132 , < 428dc9fc0873989d73918d4a9cc22745b7bbc799 (git)
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Linux Linux Affected: 6.12
Unaffected: 0 , < 6.12 (semver)
Unaffected: 6.12.30 , ≤ 6.12.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.14.8 , ≤ 6.14.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.15 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
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              "value": "AV:L - Exploitation requires loading and running a BPF program via the local `bpf()` syscall (BPF_PROG_LOAD + BPF_PROG_TEST_RUN, or a struct_ops/tracing attach). There is no remote or adjacent-network path to the sched_ext DSQ iterator kfuncs.\nAC:L - The trigger is fully deterministic \u2014 pass an invalid flag bit to `bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new()` and call `next()` \u2014 with no race, no timing window, and no dependence on ambient memory layout, since the attacker pre-seeds the iterator stack slots with values of their choosing. `CONFIG_SCHED_CLASS_EXT` is enabled in mainstream 6.12+ distro kernels.\nPR:L - Only CAP_BPF is needed: the iterator kfuncs are registered for `BPF_PROG_TYPE_SYSCALL`, which is not perfmon/net-admin gated, and `bpf_prog_test_run_syscall()` adds no capability check. `bpf_token_capable()` allows CAP_BPF to be delegated into an unprivileged user namespace via a bpffs BPF token, so an ordinary low-privileged container user can reach it.\nUI:N - The attacker\u0027s own BPF program triggers the flaw synchronously; no victim action, mount, or file open is involved.\nS:U - The corruption and its consequences are confined to the kernel\u0027s own security authority \u2014 a standard local privilege escalation with no VM, IOMMU, or hypervisor boundary crossed.\nC:H - `nldsq_next_task()` dereferences the attacker-supplied `kit-\u003edsq` pointer and then walks arbitrary `list_head` next/prev chains, yielding an arbitrary kernel-memory read primitive that can disclose credentials, keys, and KASLR state.\nI:H - The uninitialized `kit-\u003ecursor` drives `list_move()`/`list_del_init()` against attacker-chosen addresses, and `raw_spin_lock_irqsave(\u0026kit-\u003edsq-\u003elock)` performs a read-modify-write at an arbitrary address \u2014 a controlled kernel write primitive leading to full privilege escalation.\nA:H - Dereferencing garbage pointers under `raw_spin_lock_irqsave()` reliably produces a kernel oops or a hard lockup on a bogus spinlock, and any unprivileged-BPF-capable process can repeat it at will to panic the machine."
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            "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nsched_ext: bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new() should always initialize iterator\n\nBPF programs may call next() and destroy() on BPF iterators even after new()\nreturns an error value (e.g. bpf_for_each() macro ignores error returns from\nnew()). bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new() could leave the iterator in an uninitialized\nstate after an error return causing bpf_iter_scx_dsq_next() to dereference\ngarbage data. Make bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new() always clear $kit-\u003edsq so that\nnext() and destroy() become noops."
          },
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            "value": "En el kernel de Linux, se ha resuelto la siguiente vulnerabilidad: sched_ext: bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new() siempre debe inicializar el iterador. Los programas BPF pueden llamar a next() y destroy() en iteradores BPF incluso despu\u00e9s de que new() devuelva un valor de error (p. ej., la macro bpf_for_each() ignora los errores devueltos por new()). bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new() podr\u00eda dejar el iterador sin inicializar despu\u00e9s de un error, lo que provoca que bpf_iter_scx_dsq_next() desreferencia datos innecesarios. Aseg\u00farese de que bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new() siempre borre $kit-\u0026gt;dsq para que next() y destroy() se conviertan en noops."
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        "id": "CVE-2025-38012",
        "lastModified": "2026-07-30T06:22:44.367",
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                "value": "CWE-908"
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            "type": "Primary"
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    "redhat_vex": {
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      "current_release_date": "2026-11-05T14:38:34+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2025-38012",
      "id": "CVE-2025-38012",
      "initial_release_date": "2025-06-18T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:fixed": "309",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "199",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "kernel: sched_ext: bpf_iter_scx_dsq_new() should always initialize iterator",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2025/cve-2025-38012.json",
      "version": "3"
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  }
}



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